Tokyo Rose – New American Saint / 2005 SideCho / 11 Tracks / http://www.tokyorosenj.com / http://www.sidecho.com / Reviewed 09 July 2006

I first got this CD in the mail a few months ago, reviewed it, and placed it online. However, I got another copy of this album in the mail a few days ago, and was wondering why SideCho sent another copy. I guess, with all the reviews that I had posted, the Tokyo Rose one never went live and I have no idea where it went. Here’s my (second) set of opinions about Tokyo Rose’s “New American Saint”. “Goodbye Almond Eyes” is a track that goes along well with the Yellowcard meets Amber Pacific sound that Tokyo Rose is attempting to cultivate through “New Amerixcan Saint”.

Add to that a smart use of multiple vocal layers, to add a sense of fullness that equalizes the power of the vocals with the instruments on the track. The lyrics are typical emo fodder, but have a punk catchiness in the sense that individuals will be shouting this back to the band after three or four listens to “New American Saint”. The band may not be coming from a land that has previously been unexplored, but they are able to transform a tepid genre back into something fertile and invigorating. “Bottle Marked Caution” starts off in a way that is much harder than what Tokyo Rose usually commits to disc, something that increases the stock of the band in my eyes as it shows that they are not only a one-hit wonder. The catchy choruses are present again during “Bottle Marked Caution”, while the emotive arrangements that the rest of the band commits to disc are even more salient and fulfilling than they are on the rest of the disc.

The beginning of the track is the perfect place to get a full appreciation of Tokyo Rose from; this is where the band explores and experiments more than on any other part of the track. For example, during the opening minute of “Spectacle”, a different set of drums brings individuals back into the fold; the sputtering and spastic drums played are different enough that listeners bolt upright and are reinvigorated for the rest of the track. It has been about a year since this album came out, but the compositions contained within are solid enough and timeless enough that individuals can put this alongside any album released this year and “New American Saint” would hold its own ground. Give this album a go, if you are into emo at all.

Top Tracks: Spectacle, Treading Water

Rating: 6.0/10

[JMcQ]