While well known in the D.C area indie rock scene, Army of Me (AoM) is beginning to expand their fan base with constant touring and the release of some very solid records. Their latest release is only six tracks deep, but it is well worth listening to. AoM's latest release Fake Ugly is a musical adventure that will not cause the listener to lose interest, but will keep folks coming back for more. Lead singer Vince Scheuerman combines his masterful crooning with beautiful songwriting to create a wonderful listening experience.
All of the positive elements of this album simply do not completely offset some of the negative elements. The first problem with this album is the fact that after only six songs the listener is just beginning to feel the emotion that AoM is capable of producing. The other negative element was simply the fact that some of the songs sounded the same. While this is a very common pattern that most bands follow, it was disturbing that AoM would resort to this pattern with only six songs on the album.
The sound of AoM can best be described as solid rock-n-roll. The catchy guitar hooks and the upbeat drumming really allow for great accessibility on the album. This album does not however overwhelm the listener with rock, but it combines elements of Brit Pop with straight up Rock for a wonderful sound.
Fake Ugly is sure to appeal to fans of Brit-sounding pop rock, who will most likely adore this album. There are others however, that will not be able to get past the crooning vocals and sometimes deep lyrics. This is an album that will however get quite a few plays by those people who really enjoy it. This is an album where, if you have a couple of bucks handy go buy it, but don't break the bank to get it.
3.5 tocks
