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The Audition

Champion

(Victory; US: 22 Jan 2008; UK: Available as import)

From the same stomping ground as Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, The Audition perfect that same dance-rock meets power-pop on the catchy, radio-friendly “Warm Me Up”. This is revisited often but perhaps sounds best on “Make it Rain”. However, they’re not afraid to look back with the retro-tinged “Edinboro” but keep things rather safe and secure with “Hell to Sell” which is led by a rather intricate, tight bass line. Fans of The Academy Is… and even Maroon 5 to a lesser extent would lap up this material for the most part. The only problem being nothing really jumps out and grabs you by the throat, relying instead on well-worn structures that have been done before as found in the mid-tempo, gear-shifting “Ether” or the ‘80s-soaked “What Gets You Through the Night” that sounds if The Audition were listening to Spandau Ballet one too many times. A few songs definitely hit a wall, especially “Shady Business” which is average at best despite the occasional musical twist or turn.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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