The Almost - MonsterMonster

Mon 30th Nov, 2009 in Music Reviews

It’s amazing how much better you can appear by the company you keep. Take Aaron Gillespie, for example. The strawberry-blonde drummer is arguably the most important factor in Floridian metalcore giants Underoath – of which he is the sole remaining original member. His driving rhythms aside, he also provides the perfect contrast to the howling Spencer Chamberlain’s professions of faith and a world in crisis with Gillespie’s clean vocals providing the hooks that help the band keep some kind of grasp on accessibility.

Take the band away from him, however, and poor little Aaron is a deer in headlights. Southern Weather, Gillespie’s debut under the alias The Almost, had a few sweet moments but completely failed to match his work with Underoath . A couple of years on, he has tried again with Monster Monster. God knows why, however – the album is polished through its surface and shows even less glimpses of his talent than previously.

It only takes a couple of minutes to realise that Gillespie is going for his poppiest sound yet. After repeating the chorus of the title track that opens the record for the umpteenth time, he plays a big drum roll and shouts “EVERYBODY!” at the top of his lungs. Lo and behold, what happens next? Contrived gang vocals!

This sickly-sweet style of guitar pop comes back around for most of the record, and it really does leave listeners in a state of confusion as to why Gillespie would be so persistent in trying to make something stick when it’s obviously not doing wonders for him. No I Don’t is cutesy and irritating, suffocating under its own schmaltz. Summer Summer starts off promisingly, before the terrible lyrics (“Summer goes/Makes you feel like life is real”) and a synthesized string section take control – it ends up sounding like Avril Lavigne covering a Taking Back Sunday ballad.

It doesn’t get much worse than Hand Grenade, however. Folksy guitar, embarrassingly out-of-place accordion and cheese slide guitar guide to the forefront a drawling Gillespie weening out possibly the worst lyrics he has ever put his name to. “If you’re an ocean/Then I wanna jump right in”, he sings, before the cringe-inducing “If you’re a hand grenade/Then I’ll pull the pin”.

Of course, a talent the likes of Gillespie can’t get it all wrong. Hands is the best thing he has ever done under the Almost name. The chorus a glorious shout-along, the vocals sharp and hook-laden, the guitars a punchy, rhythmic beast. Books and Books, also, packs a dynamic energy straight out of the gates and some of the strongest vocals on the album.

Closing the album, Monster provides an alt-country charm, presenting itself as a fragile, emotionally driven number that proves that Aaron is capable of great things. What an absolute pity that these glimmers of hope are overridden by complete atrocities.

Concluding an analysis of Monster Monster with a pun on the band name would be entertaining. However, it’s just too obvious – something the album itself knows about all too well. Instead of cementing Aaron Gillespie’s own talents, all the Almost has done thus far is prove how much he really needs Underoath.