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The Cab: Symphony Soldier
CD: Symphony Soldier (2011, Z Entertainment)
by Angie Ho
The Cab isn’t a new band to the scene – since the immediate rise in their popularity in 2007-2008, The Cab has already had multiple lineup changes and left their label, Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance Records to release their latest album, Symphony Solider on their own.
You know they’re no joke when they can self-release an album and still have guest artists co-writing by the names of Pete Wentz (Fallout Boy), Martin Johnson (Boys Like Girls), Bruno Mars, and Adam Levine. And with such contributions, it should be no surprise that Symphony Solider was written for the masses – the pop-tastic calibration ready for radios everywhere.
The mainstream direction, as well as the typical pop lyric topics of love and heartbreak are all an overly beaten bush, but singer Alex DeLeon’s vocals bring an emotionally sincere sound to the table that keeps all kinds of ears attuned to The Cab at least for a bit. If anything, his vocals are the high point of the album’s success. The instrumentals are mostly insignificant (minus a few sweet riffs), although they contribute the overall sound accordingly. Maybe Alex DeLeon should consider going solo?
The album is well put together, each song has a slightly different flavor of its own than the rest, which is refreshing compared to many pop rock albums out there. But like all pop music, the party is over when it’s over. There’s no durability to the songs off of the album no matter how many times you try. In fact, the more you listen to it, the harder it is to continue doing so.
Symphony Solider has a lot of potential in the Top 40 charts, but lacks that final push. What is that final push, you ask? Well if the The Cab knew it, this review would be an entirely different ball game.
Ratings:
Appeal: 6/10
Originality: 4/10
Vocals: 8/10
Instrumentals: 5/10
Lyrics: 4/10
Production: 7/10
Overall: 5.7/10
Sounds Like (Related Artists):
Every other pop rock band.
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