British Boys Come Through With the Debut Album of the Summer

One of the most pleasant surprises of the summer came in the form of album, "The Best in Town," the new album from Welsh emo metal band The Blackout.

"The Best In Town" is The Blackout's second album, but their first to be available in the United States thanks to signing with American indie powerhouse Epitaph Records. For those that remember the early days of The Used and bands like Finch and Glassjaw, the Blackout will be a welcome throwback to the beginning of the decade, before brutally screamed verses and beautifully sung choruses were a dime a dozen. The best way to describe the band's sound is as the perfect lovechild of St. Louis emo dudes, Story of the Year and California metalcore band A Static Lullaby. The Blackout utilize two vocalists: screamer Sean Smith, who howls just like ASL's Dan Brown, and singer Gavin Butler, whose soulful voice echoes that of SOTY front man Dan Marsala. If either of those two bands are an interest, it's a pretty safe bet that "The Best In Town" will be just as liked.The wonderful thing about The Blackout is the fact that they are clearly not blazing any new trails, and they are perfectly aware and comfortable with this. There's no use in painting this record as something it's not: the sing/scream/repeat formula has been heard a thousand times before.

However, The Blackout do it particularly well. They throw in just enough bells and whistles to stand out from the pack, like the chorus of young kids in lead single "Children of the Night," and the infectious radio-ballad-out-of-nowhere, "Silent." Not to mention that while Butler's singing voice is certainly more than competent, Smith sounds like an absolute demon on songs like, "We're going to Hell, So Bring the Sunblock." There are enough curveballs on this record to keep even the most jaded music fan interested.

The album's standout track is it's fourth song "The Fire." This one is a monster. If there's one song to listen to on this album, it's this one. The band tears through the verses and slows the pace just long enough for you to learn the words to the sing along chorus. Then they segue into what could possibly be the breakdown of the year, with Smith bellowing,"I am the fire," at the top of his lungs. Throw in an excellent guitar solo and it's one hell of a rock n' roll song. "The Fire" also features the album's greatest moment, where Smith is screaming his lungs out during the breakdown and the entire song stops dead in its tracks. Smith inhales deeply and desperately and then launches back into his assault on the eardrums.

It's impossible to get bored listening to this album, which is really saying something in 2009. In the age of singles it's great to see a band put out such a cohesive body of songs. It could be said that nobody experiences music anymore. The Blackout is here to change that. Check out "The Best in Town" at Best Buy or FYE, for $12.