The Almost - Southern Weather

Underoath drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie's debut release from side project The Almost is not a repeat performance of his full time band by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the tracks find themselves somewhere between pop and a hard rock place, with Gillespie's vocals coming through as the focus for the album. While you can hear hints of Underoath in some of the harder tunes ("Drive There Now" and "I Mostly Copy Other People," featuring vocals from The Starting Line's Kenny Vasoli, who also contributed bass on some tracks, for instance), it is the quieter moments where Southern Weather really succeeds. The acoustic driven "Dirty And Left Out" is a moving track and is the first time on the album where Gillespie (who handled all songwriting duties here, along with playing pretty much every instrument on the album) really begins to shine. The inclusion of the hymn "There's Just Something About That Name" to close out the song is pitch perfect. Another hymn drops in as the chorus for the equally moving "Amazing Because It Is," and the inclusion of a small vocal choir to close it out fits the song wonderfully. Overall, The Almost's debut stands as a solid rock album and a showcase for the talents of Gillespie. It may not be anything that will change the world of music, but its definitely worth of a listen. [www.myspace.com]