Posted on: October 17, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Honestly, this is the second time that I’ve reviewed this disc; the first being for the radio station which I work for, WGRE. At the time, I must not have listened to the disc very deeply, as I did not recommend it to be put on rotation. But, the second time that I’ve listened to it, some of the more interesting nuances of the disc have really shown themselves to me. Not really a punk or emo band per se, Stairwell makes a post-Weezer style of rock that is innocuous and can be enjoyed be all. Songs like “All These Years” really have an All-American Rejects or Sixty Stories sound to them, to give one a sense of what they can expect from this band. In fact, this disc is polished enough, and has nothing in the way of rough sound, that it can be virtually be played anywhere. Rich guitar lines mix with vocals that continually yearn for some form of closure to make the ultimate in car music or that disc that you can use to zone out. While all of the songs are catchy in their own way, I feel that Staiwell has not cut that track that will immediately endure them to the radio-listening masses. The music may bre bouncy and infectious, but that one specific hook that would put the band on a course for more popularity is not on this disc. Still, a disc worth listening to for the sheer technical skill of the acts, or even just the groovy guitar lines that are constantly present on the disc.

 

Rating: 7.0/10
Stairwell – “The Sounds of Change” / / 10 Songs/ Hopeless Records / http://www.hopelessrecords.com / http://www.stairwell.net


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