“Where We Began” drips with hooks from the opening vocals which sing out “I love my country, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else…” to the slick chord progression during the chorus. Everything works together so well you don’t really get a chance to question whether you like it or not before you’ve already started singing along.

Both “My Rhythm” and “Circus Song” start off fairly generically but once they get going there is a lot to sink your teeth into. “My Rhythm” dives into the urge to move to the music and provides a dancier chorus with help from the high-hats. “Circus Song” on the other hand is slightly bouncier while encourages others to sing along.

Often with smaller bands comes smaller sound quality but fear not, the quality is excellent and no reason to stay away. Besides the opening track was usually the only one that got skipped and although not bad, it just has less of a hold than other tracks on the record. There is very little for skeptics to grab hold of and complain about which is rare for a debut release.

With style and substance way above the bar, The Galley have what it takes to break out. Get in before the crowds do, because you aren’t going to want to miss this record.

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Opening the album with “I Knew You’d Never Fly”, a piano and string instruments heavy song, you can tell right off the bat the band has a theatrical style which they play up. “Roll Right Over” is the album’s grove track and highlight. When the song reaches the pre-chorus and rolls right in the chorus is when the rhythm takes over and will begin to sweep you up in its path.

While there’s no arguing that the musical style is a different direction than tradition mainstream is headed, the band is not exactly paving ways. Fans of the indie rock band As Tall As Lions should feel very comfortable with the similar musical and vocal style laid out by Eye Alaska.

“Through Willows and Streams” ends the album with an upbeat pop song that adds elements of rock. The music and especially the string section is the biggest hooks that the song has although there’s also no part that hurts the song.

Eye Alaska is such a talented band with an amazing EP which should not be missed. There may be a slight learning curve in terms of acquainting your self with the style but it shouldn’t take long before the volume is turned up loud.

Relient K is well known for their use of puns and other lyrical play which is still very much intact. The style on the new songs however does feel a little retrospective with faster tempos scattered throughout and more freedom for creativity. Several songs clock in at under 2 minutes which is just enough time to give the strong melodies time to shine. “You’ll Always Be My Best Friend” is one of these quickies that would help any guy woo a girl.

“The Last, The Lost, The Least” explores a new sound for the band but picks at one that works well. The track’s understated pop punk sense focuses on the strong chorus which really sticks. “The Lining Is Silver” is more familiar right off the bat but drills down on a really catchy melody making it one of the strongest songs on the record.

There is very little to dislike about this album. Either you aren’t a Relient K sort of person or you aren’t and while this record won’t change an unbeliever, it definitely reaffirms the fans who are. Some of the demos are less than spectacular but you’ve already listened though 22 songs and gotten your moneys worth.

If you’re a new, first time listener to the band then right off the bat there are a few things you’ll notice. First you’ll probably notice the lo-fi, grungy guitars that squeal throughout most songs and contribute to the DYI impression that the album gives off.

Secondly, the pop melodies will begin to distract you into not caring about the sound quality. “Best Supporting Actor” is a bear hug of a song in terms of its pop strangle hold. It is the song which all other songs on the record will be measured against with its quick verses and bridge that stretches to the songs end. “A Better Job”  is one of the other stand out tracks which follows a very similar structure to the previously mentioned track with just an many pop hooks.

Finally you’ll notice that ‘Build It Up’ seemed to contain the better songs in the front half of the album and that somewhere along the way the songs start blending together with the nagging issue of the sound quality coming back. Most songs do have good parts but few are strong the entire way through.

The blended male and female vocals add so much character and style to the songs which do give the band a unique sound. Despite all the flaws there is something so charming and endearing about this band which makes up for a lot of the parts of this album that miss the mark. There is enough here for this to be a worthy purchase but there are also definite things that can be improved on.

While most songs still rotate around girls and breaking up, there seems to be a lot less drama filled lyrics dripping from the pop punk music than the band’s debut album had. ‘Rotation’ promotes a more generic radio friendly style which is actually pretty hard to dislike. The music is highly addictive with aggressive hooks around every turn.

“Hollywood” demonstrates the elevated maturity of the band and digs into the history of Hollywood along with the music industry. The song adds a bit of flare with the horns and slightest hint of Latin style during the bridge/breakdown with classical guitar.

Since the release of the band last album, Dave Melillo who had been going it alone as a solo artist previously, has been added to the band as the new bass player. Whether he has anything to do with better results seen on ‘Rotation’ is anyone’s guess but it didn’t hurt the band, that’s for sure.

“Doctor”, “Safe Ride”, and “Practice Makes Perfect” are all positioned to be the big singles off the album, with “Safe Ride” being the best of the three. “Doctor”, although catchy, feels forced and lacks anything special.

“Navigate Me” picks at old habits, and by the time the song finished every time, my eyes had glazed over and rolled back in my head from boredom. On the other hand, “Marriage To Millions” keeps things interesting with The Starting Line/pop punk feel it has.

There’s nothing new, not even anything very exciting about the record but it will be way above the expectation level for most people. I would at least suggest listening to a song or two before bashing it. Bottom line though, if you were excited about Forever The Sickest Kids album or The Maine’s EP earlier this year, then ‘Rotation’ is a gem waiting for you.

Playing off the long intro or short instrumental song of “Life In Technicolor”, “Cemeteries In London” carries a halfhearted darker tone which is conflicted by the lyrical content and the upbeat tempo. “Lost” picks up where the previous song left off adding claps and a solid grove throughout its duration.

“42″ is the first track to fall into the tradition, tried and true “Coldplay style” which doesn’t last for too long though as gentle tempo and lush sounds turn in to a heavier jam session for the extended bridge.

Some parts of the record are slightly grittier with a deeper sense of urgency. “Lovers In Japan” focuses on the musical side of the song with the lyrics feeling secondary and as if they might not be missed if removed. Contrarily “Strawberry Swing” begins with the steady drum beat and relies on Chris Martin’s strong vocals and the guitar noodling to carry what to turns out to be one of the best songs on the album.

Outdoing themselves yet again, Coldplay have put out a beautiful record with as much substance as it has style. Musically the band has matched the epic cover art which is the painting, “Liberty Leading The People” by French painter Eugène Delacroix.

The first two tracks are the band almost ripping themselves off as the quick stop and go singing along with the long held out words during the chorus scream of classic Offspring. “Half-Truism” has only a slightly more modern chorus anthem feel.

On “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?” the band shows such a personal and sensitive side which gives you the impression the band have grown out of their youthful days only to have songs like “Stuff Is Messed Up” follow after. The song crudely and vulgarly attempts to simply say that the world is a bad place. These types of lyrics show up several times through out the album and if you were you offended by the band’s earlier records the same will still apply on the newest effort.

Only after having someone point it out did I realize that the closing track does sound like a blatant rip off of a Green Day song. If you can get past that part, it finishes out the album nicely with it’s catchy verses and bouncy style.

It seems as if the days of “Pretty Fly For A White Guy” and “Original Prankster” are gone so this may be for all those who “just wish the band would go back to an old style”. Those who are not huge fans may find a few tracks that peak your interest but probably nothing to get too excited about.

‘Summer’, although different in style, closely resembles the first solo EP ‘Fall’, both with their hard hitting, brutally honest lyrics. Specifically “Instead Of A Show” wastes no time flat out saying too many people are focused on style rather than substance. The song is moves along, mid-tempo, with a catchy melody that really sticks in your mind.

Using the simple task holding mirror and how it’s harder to hold for yourself as a cover, the first song dives into a mangled relationship and wanting to work things out. In a style that has now become standard from his previous solo work, Foreman gracefully sings “please don’t go, don’t leave me alone, a mirror is so much harder to hold…”.

“Resurrect Me” is the closest to a full fledged Switchfoot song and one of the few which uses a full band of instruments. Bursting of life, the track stands out among the slower songs but provides the a welcome dose of energy that the album benefits from.

Sinking back into a more somber tone and ending on a peaceful note, “House Of God, Forever” and “Again” feel like the end of a summer’s day. Back when you had nothing to do but found so much to fill the day with and are now lying in the grass with someone just talking and reflecting.

Looking back on the other seasons, all the songs fit perfectly on their respective discs, ‘Summer’ being no exception. Strong all the way through, ‘Summer’ magnificently concludes this chapter and year of seasons.

“Indie Rock Girl” hits all its marks but is still understated in almost every way and would probably be a radio single reject yet the song is one of, if not, the highlight of the EP.

With only 5 tracks the band left little room for errors or missteps yet even still, “Let It Go” or even the occasionally attractive “Rockstar” falls short in comparison to the other sugary pop rock.

As soon as “Get It Get It” begins with the boisterous “Oh boy, you think you’re ready for it…” line, you should know whether you’re in for the ride or not, and well, chances are you’ll be in.

Combining the higher pitched, sharp and quickly sung stylings of lead singer David Raymond with matching technical music provides a huge step forward for the once overly generic band. Besides the throw away intro which is highly predictable with its building static, the album starts with a bang from the title track. “Quiet Mouth Loud Hands” lays down an almost Alien Ant Farm like verse of guitar, drums, and vocals all mimicking each other which then jump into an equally impressive chorus. “Nailbiter” follows up as a very smooth, easy to swallow chaser with the vocals being the most interesting part of the song.

Someone in the recording studio definitely made use of the “grove knob” on the mixing board and turned it up on several songs including “Teacher, Preacher” and “Blinding Sir Bluest”. Both of the songs have melodies and rhythms that will get your head and foot moving more than you may have expected to while listening to a “punk” band. Just as a tip If you’re going to add an instrumental track to a CD it better be worth it and just as good or better than any other track on the album. “Woodbox” succeeds as it is phenomenal with the up tempo, acoustic guitar focused sound.

Damiera never strays too far from their traditional sound and thus if you like anything from the record you’ll probably be a fan of all of it, however “Weights For The Waiting” and “Chomatica” both drop the ball slightly. The songs lack uniqueness, or a flavor of their own, and while not bad songs, they’re just simply less exciting than the other tracks.

The album concludes in the absolute perfect way with “Trading Grins”. The music verges on light industrial, but the vocals and clapping during the chorus put the song over the top. ‘Quiet Mouth Loud Hands’ is basically the album I was looking for from this band and the exact way a band should naturally progress from album to album.