In their press bio, Left Alone claim influences from "Rancid and the Clash to Operation Ivy, Swingin' Utters, and Elvis Costello." And those influences certainly are there. Their problem is breaking through from simply being carbon copies of those artists, and putting together an album in which they develop a signature sound. While the band has moments in which they appear to be breaking through the creativity barrier, they always seem to follow up those songs with a bland and unappealing one.
There are two distinct sides to Left Alone's music. At their best, they sound like a mixture between Rancid and Swingin' Utters, showcasing a solid ska sound with an edge. But they also have their periods of sounding like a bland, boring punk band like thousands others that you would see at a basement show. I've seen far too many bands that play three chords very fast to get excited about it, because there are few bands that can really make that style jump out at you. When Left Alone is playing straight-up punk songs like "Lonely Stars and Broken Hearts" and "My 62," it's time to let out a collective yawn. Sure it's listenable (most of the time--the never-ending choruses on "Monday Morning" and "My Way" and the nasally delivery on "Dead Red Roses" may enter "turn it off!" category) but it does little to distinguish the band from the masses who have that sound.
This would be a completely mediocre punk album if it wasn't for the three tracks in which they slow things down and feature more of a ska sound. It's not a coincidence that the three best songs on the CD are the ones that are over three minutes in length. When they get a solid rhythm in place, and don't feel the need to speed things up, they make some good music. The best song by far is the track "By My Side," with a sound much in the vein of Rancid, but showcasing the brass section and a fun ska riff. Their lead singer, Elvis, does sound a little too much like Tim Armstrong to be a coincidence, but in their better moments you don't mind it too much. The other strong tracks are the catchy beat of "Another Feeling" and the call and answer vocals of "Would You Stay Now?" which give hope for the future if this band would just ditch their fast stuff and really explore the ska/punk side of their music that they do best.
2.5/4
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