PopSyndicate.com

Good band, adequate record.

There’s not much to say about Say No More.  Their new album What You Thought You Knew is a solid effort that most alt-music bands could only hope to aspire too.  It’s a good album from start to finish.  Each song creats high’s and low’s with excellent pacing and delivery.  The problem is while the album works as a whole, there are no standout tracks that jump out and grab the listener.  What You Thought You Knew plays from beginning to end with solid progression but everything falls into the background as tracks tend to blend together.

A year in the making, each track sounds carefully crafted.  From the opening jam of “Masquerade”, you know Say No More are here to rock the house.  The strong melodies and driving guitars and drum creates a pop-punk dance floor music that makes you want to get on your feet.  Lead singer Peter Pedrazzi’s vocals carry the songs and give each track a sense of urgency with a twinge of pain.  The lyrics reflect the pain in his voice. 

The love song “Tell Me What You’re Thinking Baby” is a bittersweet moment as a Peter asks his girlfriend to talk to him on a cold winter night.  Never bursting into the grandiose chorus, it’s a nice slow burn of angst.  The title track “What You Thought You Knew” follows up and brings the band back to full rock mode.  The back half of the album doesn’t have the drive that leads it off.  They songs are still solid but fall into a more mundane offering.

What’s missing is anything that sets them apart from the rest.  In a very competitive field, you have to distinguish yourself from the pack.  When you’ve already got bands out there doing the same thing as Say No More (Plain White-T’s), you’ve got take some chances and everything on What You Thought You Knew feels safe. 

Say No More are a very talented band and What You Thought You Knew is a good listen but with the tracks blending so closely together, it’s hard to outright recommend this CD.  It’s perfect to put on at a party or other event where you need some music to set the tone.  Say No More should have a solid future if they can break out of the box and try something new.

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