Something Corporate - North

It's been a whole year since the release of the debut album from Something Corporate, Leaving Through The Window. Now that the guys have reached their early twenties, they've really been out in the world and have matured (please realize I am being sarcastic). Instead of the wretched, prepubescent, piano-tainted pop-punk they churned out in 2002, North is a 12-song collection of piano-driven, pop songs. Except, instead of the piano acting as the distinctive element, this time around subtle "punk" staples - gang vocals, snare rolls, palm-muted riffs, etc. - have been strategically included in attempts to excuse the fact that this album could have easily been released by Paula Cole or Michelle Branch. The band has inevitably fallen prey to its own pun; Something Corporate has indeed become something corporate. It's no doubt partly the fault of producer Jim Wirt, who has proven he's great at taking a reasonably original sound and destroying it for radio replay value. Wirt, however, does deserve a pat on the back, because he's made his employers very proud - the vocals are unabashedly processed and auto-tuned, every instrument has been mixed to maintain that lobotomizing, mid-range dynamic, and ten of the twelve songs are a comfortable length for radio. However, I guess you can't overlook that fact the songs were actually written by the band. The blame lands solely on the shoulders of singer/pianist Andrew McMahon and guitarist Josh Partington, since they were responsible for penning the majority of the music. McMahon's whiny vocal phrasing is trite and artificial, while Partington's arrangements are predictable and equally unaffecting. As to not completely trash Something Corporate's whole effort, it's nice to see someone tried to experiement with an ebow on "She Paints Me Blue", "Me And The Moon" reveals a possible Ben Folds influence, and the single, "Space", isn't completely embarassing. Yet, all subjective and critical comments aside, this album could've been made by anyone in this day and age. Uniquity is a necessity to make a name in the music business, and Something Corporate, like many others, ain't got it. [www.somethingcorporate.com]