Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely

If you're the happy-go-lucky type, it's a little tough to buy into this entire "emo" phenomenon -- especially the bands that champion the tougher, edgier "emo-core" sound. Their lives can't be that terrible if they're making records, cashing checks and scoring groupies, right? And can you really be that hardcore when all your songs are hyper-sensitive rants about women who are out of your league and how the world doesn't appreciate you? But Hawthorne Heights should not be dismissed on account of its association with Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and the rest of the too-cute-to-be-this-depressed crowd whose music is regularly featured on Laguna Beach. Yes, they share a fan base with Hillary Duff and Lindsay Lohan. And sure, it's disingenuous to advertise yourself as tortured, lonely and miserable when you've clearly got the world by the balls. But on its sophomore release, If Only You Were Lonely, Hawthorne Heights proves that it's a cut above its peers in the "whiny-but-aggressive" market. If Only You Were Lonely is as hypnotically melodic as it is annoyingly overdramatic, and that's cool because it still rocks really hard. The songs are tightly constructed and the record holds together from front to back. "Saying Sorry" -- the album's strongest track -- is destined for pop radio greatness. And "We Are So Last Year" is another song that's so irresistible you won't care that the pack of teenage girls driving in the SUV next to you is rocking out to the same thing. The band's fascination with the whole 'screamo' thing is a bit distracting because their primal yells bring absolutely nothing of musical value to the songs (unless you actually enjoy the sound of men screaming as if they've just been castrated). What makes this worse is that lead singer J.T. Woodruff is blessed with some seriously impressive pipes. Even still, all the stupid hollering isn't enough to derail record, or damage Woodruff's vocal performance. Life is clearly on the up and up for Hawthorne Heights. Let's hope their music doesn't start to suck now that they've made some friends and are all out of excuses to bitch about how lonely they are. [www.hawthorneheights.com]