Finch shows evolution on new album

After hearing the first single off of Finch's new album, "Bitemarks and Bloodstains," I was very excited. Their first full-length, What it is to Burn (2002), is among my favorite CDs. What made that album good was that you could listen to it and hear 13 unique, excellent songs.

No two songs on the album sounded alike. Capping off the record was the excellent post-hardcore ballad for which the album was named. Commercially, it was quite successful, going Gold.

Three years and one lineup change later, Finch released their sophomore LP, Say Hello to the Sunshine, last Tuesday.

The current band consists of Nate Barcalow on vocals, Randy Strohmeyer and Alex Linares on guitar, Derek Doherty on bass, and the newcomer, Marc Allen, on drums.

The new drummer has helped Say Hello to the Sunshine achieve a decidedly heavier sound than the earlier Finch recordings. On What it is to Burn, the musical focus seemed to be on Barcalow's smooth vocals, with the music playing a supporting role.

Now, the interest has definitely shifted. The guitars, bass, and drums are faster, heavier, and more in-your-face than before.

The vocals have taken a back seat to the sonic assault offered up by Allen, Doherty, Linares and Strohmeyer. In addition, Barcalow traded in his mom-friendly vocals, instead choosing a gruffer, eerie voice with a lot more screaming.

Finch's new sound is somewhere between those of Hawthorne Heights and Avenged Sevenfold-harder than the former, but still more radio-friendly than the latter.

Their attempt to reinvent themselves definitely succeeded. However, it is not a genre defining album like the first one was.

"Bitemarks and Bloodstains" was an appropriate song to pick as the first single as it helps to bridge the old and new sounds together. The album contains a few other standouts, including "Brother Bleed Brother," a three and a half minute rant about the frailty of life, and "Reduced to Teeth," which contains a reference to the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty."

So, has the year spent recording this album in California produced something worth buying? That's hard to say.

Having loved the first album so much, I was almost hoping for a "What it is to Burn 2." Those of you with a similar mindset should probably not buy this album.

Were I not writing this review, I probably would have filed this CD away and only heard it occasionally on my iPod. However, even as I write this, the new sound is continuing to grow on me.

I will never enjoy it as much as the first CD, but some people will enjoy the harder, heavier sound offered by Say Hello to the Sunshine.

Overall, it is a solid record with several good songs and maybe one or two great ones. If you hear the single and really like it, buy the CD. But, if you liked the older stuff a lot, go buy the new Coldplay CD instead.