| In the sea of hard rock bands, if you don't have a detailed map you might find yourself lost.
Welcome an old friend, 12 Stones. And despite the overwhelming Christian structure of the band,
they have still come to make some of the best music in the genre. With "Anthem For The Underdog"
they search to reverberate that old school catchy rock that ignited my interest in them back in
2002. And while they usually stay close to the sadness of heartbreak, they always seem to hit a
chord with me in all of their efforts. Let's see if the Underdog can come out on top this time.
Over at 12 Stone headquarters, they must be keeping a secret magical #1 Hit Record pressing
machine on at all times. With a flurry of emotion and spread of catchy melody, they craft addictive songs every
time and obviously this album is no different. You like Daughtry's stuff? Drop it, he's a second
rate Idol and know that 12 Stones have been pumping out good ol’ radio magic for going on 7 years
now. Not to get ahead of myself, it's just hard when you really like all the songs on an album.
Solid weaving guitar work, electric and acoustic, as well as Paul McCoy’s homegrown alt vocals
just fit the profile so well its really surprising.
The funny thing is that most of the lyrics focus on either heartbreak or redemption from sadness,
and while they are Christian they really don't impose beliefs in their lyrics. So jaded listeners,
don't classify this anything but catchy alternative rock. This really is the best way a band could
progress over the years in my mind. Staying true to their sound because it fits just like a great pair
of alt-rock pants. What is also great is that you can basically skip around the CD and it won't matter what
song you encounter because it will blow you away every time.
So when this goes live, there really isn't any reason not to pick up "Anthem For The Underdog"
because it is filled to the brim with not only carefully mastered guitars and vocals but also
because if you even listen to only one song, you'll find that you aren't leaving those speakers till
you hear more. Self titled, to Potter's Field, to Anthem, it really has been an interesting
journey. This album really is an anthem, but with how memorable it is they won't be an underdog
for long. It's an instant classic.
~ Pernell
August 06 2007 |
