by Dan Solera "www.ragelink.com" Evanston, IL USA Reviewed on August 15th, 2004
Well, it seems that one-man bands are becoming very popular. You can't turn a corner without seeing bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, Custom, Dashboard Confessional and Pete Yorn, all of whom are pretty much led by one person. So yes, they are becoming very popular.
And it's a good thing too, because they're pretty damn good.
Abandoned Pools is no exception. This band, fronted by Tommy Walter, came off originally (to me) as a mix between Stabbing Westward and Sister Hazel. This was mostly based on their first single, "The Remedy", a nice blend of above-par pop rock and certain harder, moodier elements. But then as I dug deeper into the band, I realized that there are many layers to their sound, many of which can be overlooked in "The Remedy". One realizes this as (s)he passes through the opening track into songs like "Start Over" and "Suburbian Muse". Both of these songs have a serene sound, one that projects a certain pleasantry within the listener, but at the same time reminding him that all is not well. This is a sound not heard frequently in the modern rock scene.
In the midst of the Retro turmoil that has been injecting itself into the rock scene (White Stripes, Strokes, Vines, etc.), these guys bring in a sound that seems to be more derivative than original. In other words, they seem to be a composition of elements and genres, rather than an explicitly "new" sound. Despite this, they succeed in my book. I will attribute this mainly to the sound itself, without ignoring the range these songs encompass. The two said songs (along with "Sunny Day") are pleasant, soft, and almost cute. On the complete other side, songs like "Monster" and "Mercy Kiss" will find you chasing the band as they romp through angst-laden riffs, never letting down. At the end of the day, I will call them a mix between Athenaeum and Incubus.
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