Band: The Audition
Release: Chapter II (EP)
Release Date: 11/06/12
Since leaving Victory Records after firing out four records, The Audition are now a label-less pop-rock band from the Windy City, Chicago. The aptly titled ‘Chapter II‘ benchmarks a new start for the band and what better way to do it than a six track EP?
Beginning with ‘Who Do You Think You Are‘, the clichéd song title is proven to be of little importance once the track kicks in. Hooks are rife and the lyrics embed themselves in your head along with the rhythm of the track. ‘Who Do You Think You Are‘ sounds similar to some sort of young UK indie band making love to Fall Out Boy and on this occasion, and probably this occasion alone, it works.
‘You Make Me Sick‘ is another uninventive song title that begins with a single acoustic guitar before vocalist Danny Stevens pipes up. Yet again, the song title is overcome by a decent enough track. The Audition’s use of chorus hooks definitely works in their favour as the record continues into ‘EVIL’: the word is spelt out in such a way that makes it sound like it could be easily transformed into a glam-rock track that Motley Crue, Poison or The New York Dolls would have been proud of. This is most definitely a good thing though.
‘Back And Forth‘ is a well-performed track that would stand out a lot more if it was not on this record as it sounds very similar to the first two tracks especially. That aside, The Audition have to be congratulated once again on the use of catchy hooks, especially in regards to their choruses. I’ll drink to that.
The fifth track on ‘Chapter II‘ did raise a smile. When a band releases a track entitled ‘You Gotta Believe’, it is only natural that this gives vivid images of a 70s or 80s cheese-rock band in a room filled with candles or fire or possibly on a cliff top in the rain, singing and clenching fists about lost loved ones. But, yeah, ‘You Gotta Believe‘ is not the greatest of tracks and does indeed live up to its extremely sleazy title.
Ending on ‘Talkin’ was a brave but well-thought out move, especially to fans of the good old guitar solo (check out the last 39 seconds of the track…it’s no Slash, but it’s pretty cool).
All in all, this record is decent. The first track ‘Who Do You Think You Are‘ does definitely take the title of ‘strongest track’, if there is such thing in the world of music. Unfortunately it is the case that the tracks do occasionally merge into one another making it hard to differentiate between them.
6/10
Reviewer: Luke Davis
