"Champion" might be the second album by Chicago pop-punk outfit The Audition, but it definitely does not sound like a sophomore attempt.
From the second one starts listening, the album sounds just like the many other, similar bands out there. That's how well this music blends in with all of the other highly publicized nonsense on the airwaves today.
It's no wonder that hardly anyone knows of this band, and even less of a wonder that no one knows their history.
The Audition formed in early 2003 and consisted of drummer Ryan O'Connor and bassist Joe Lussa along with a rotating group of musicians. Their EP "All in Your Head" (2003) was recorded before the main members of the group had even joined. After the band became complete with Danny Stevens on vocals and Seth Johnson and Timmy Klepek on guitars, they produced their first album, "Controversy Loves Company" (2005). Since then, they have been touring with the likes of Head Automatica and Jack's Mannequin.
The band released its latest album on Jan. 22 a week after the album had been leaked to the Internet. "Champion" has 10 tracks and a pop-punk alternative vibe that will be hard for some 13-and-older listeners to hang on to. However, the style is mild compared to other bands in the genre, and for those who have been listening to this music for a while, it will just end up sounding like more of the same.
The band is most comparable to Emery, sans the religion and screaming, with more clever lyrics. The disc starts out with a catchy guitar intro to the first track, "Bashat," which sounds like the band is scolding a girl who has been messing with their heads.
The album's first single, "Warm Me Up", has a consistent bassline beat with a funky cymbal rhythm as the band tries to coax a new girl into bed. The next track, "Thank Heaven for the Weather," sounds strikingly similar, but the song is so catchy that one barely notices.
In short, you may as well listen to it 10 times over and replicate the sounds of the album.
On vocals, Stevens does not seem to care about his backing band.
His voice sounds flat and out of place with the music, as if he is affecting a sexy, come-hither voice to attract more "tween" groupies. Johnson and Klepek on guitars do not dazzle, especially in our era of Guitar Hero when eight-year-olds can play "Free Bird" on Expert. The drum beats are barely heard, and when they are, it sounds like arrhythmic banging.
Fans of the current generation of syncopated emo bands - those that blend wall-of-noise guitar with plaintive vocals and lyrics that only hint at the depths of adolescent angst - will find good company in The Audition.
The band tries to find a balance between its members' obviously deep emotions and their party-boy image, but they ultimately fall into step with the barrage of popular music that assaults us from MTV's once-a-day video showings.
After that, the album varies from slower tracks to completely different musical genres altogether.
The album doesn't feel complete, however; it lacks something that all of the more popular bands were able to find and exploit so they could rise to the top.
Once The Audition finds the special something they need, they may rise to become the next big thing in pop-rock.
Give them a listen; they are definitely worth a stream, and if inspired, shell out the $9 to support the band - if you like screamo, that is.
