sQ! back in full Upswing

The true meaning of the letters sQ! may be one of those intangible mysteries of the Tufts universe , but with the release of their premiere album, On the Upswing, sQ! displays a cohesive, talented, and energetic face of a cappella that is very tangible. The first album produced by the young a cappella group, formed in 1994, is an excellent compilation of new and old pop songs which showcases its talent and exuberance for singing and skill at arranging.

sQ!'s ultimate strength has to be its cohesion; which comes through even though the voice tracks were recorded separately and then mixed. The unity that the group must possess to keep its acronym secret for nearly ten years comes through in their singing as well _ they seem to be in perfect synchronicity with each other, and sing like one voice. It is this unity which brings the listener through any disagreements with arrangements in the album and makes sQ! lovable and great listening experience.

The album begins with a beautiful rendition of Dido's "All You Want," which displays the group's depth and talent, all on the first track. Soloist Jean Manney's rich voice flows smoothly throughout the song, accompanied by perfect soprano harmonies, as well as strong bass and percussion. This song alone is enough to make any listener fall in love with sQ!'s depth, emotion and vocal range.

If the first track makes you fall in love with the group, then the next one is enough to knock you off your feet. In quite an undertaking for arrangement and singing alike, sQ! masterfully performs Dave Matthew's Band's "Two Step," off the album Crash. The musical finesse and calming eeriness of a Dave Matthews' original is perfectly captured and transformed into one of the most beautiful a cappella songs I've ever heard.

Soloist Dave Rosen mimics Matthews' voice, but adopts the song as his own _ and the listener can feel every drop of pain and joy that Rosen conjured up to sing Matthews' words. Sara Shanksy's arrangement uses each a cappella voice perfectly to make sQ!'s version of "Two Step" a song to listen to over and over again.

Even though sQ! shows its serious side early in the album, they bring out their more playful side in Susan Swerdlick's rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Come on Over (All I want is You)" and in Justin Green, Edwin Johnson, Steve Kahn and Jeff Wong's version of Boyz II Men's "Motown Philly."

The songs demonstrate the groups' ability to sing a wide range of genres, including pop, rap or ballad, with the same intensity. And, within the different songs the group has the ability to make the listener experience a wide range of emotions.

In "Motown Philly," for example, sQ! makes the listener smile one moment _ "One day back in Medford, some folks they wanted to sing/They came up to me and I said what's your name (TUFTS sQ!)...Yo Jumbos check this out/See if this one moves you" _ and be in awe, of the tight four-part-harmony-solo that follows the rap's introduction, in the next moment.

Other great performances include Lisa Birnbaum's soulful "No More 'I Love You's,'" Justin Green and Nicholas Garrison's haunting rendition of Guster's "Demons" and Jeff Wong's lively "Everywhere You Go."

Every song on On the Upswing gives the listener everything that co-ed a cappella can give: strong bass, tight percussion, beautiful counter-melodies along with harmonies and excellent solos. Even when the arrangement of a song isn't what you've come to expect from the original, or the synchronization of syncopated rhythms is slightly off-base, the soloist's voice and charm always seems to pull the listener through it.

Based on the talent, soul, and unity that sQ! shows in all ten tracks, it is apparent that On the Upswing is an album long-overdue, but well worth the wait. A diverse compilation of songs, powerful unity of voices, and a very apparent love for song-making makes this album a joy to listen to and enforces sQ! as a staple in the Tufts a cappella diet.