Saosin.

So I wrote a blog about Saosin before, but now that I love them even more and am more musically inclined I guess, I can write about it better.

Well to get started, Saosin's a post-hardcore/alternative band from SoCal. They started about 2002-2003 and have never stopped amazing me since. I actually started listening to them summer 2007, and that's when I immediately fell in love with their music. Why'd I instantly love them? Well my uncle had passed away and I found out over summer and the only band that could satisfy my emotional musical needs happened to be Saosin cause I was experimenting with bands. I listened to the whole album throughout and, as most bands when I first listen to them, I couldn't distinguish the different song changes. I realized that they were really good at transitioning from song to song, making their whole DEBUT ALBUM WITH COVE (2006) sound like one large song. But this was also a con, I later found out. Their songs sounded too much a like for their own good, with the same D maj/minor noting, for a new Saosin listener, it was almost impossible to tell which song is which. So I listened through it and one song really caught my ear that I promised myself I'd listen to again after the album was done playing. After trying out a couple songs to see which one it was (I had forgotten to check the name while it was playing) I found out that it was "You're Not Alone," the main ballad song on their album . I listened to this song with so much passion, and it really got to me. I started sobbing of my uncle's sudden death thanks to this song. It was so slow and emotional and the lyrics would just break me down. After listening to this song almost non stop for a couple of days, I decided to try out the whole album again . This time I was more careful to listen to every song independently. Every song slowly sunk into me, my brain deciphered them differently, lyrically of course (I wasn't good at listening to instruments back then.) Every song made me feel a different way, sad, happy, pumped, everything! Their songs related to any person's life, full of conflicts and problems but also filled with strength and love in the end. The songs all taught me different lessons in life and how to deal with them. Then as I grew more into music, they still kept the closest to my heart. Each song has 120+ plays on my playlist and the highest FULL ALBUM LISTEN count (I listen to the whole album once or twice a day haha).
Now that I'm also into the technical aspects of the song, I'm still amazed. They combine slow melodic riffs with hard pounding heavy metal sounding ones. A-Rod's drum playings amazing, Beau and Justin harmonize perfectly with different octaves played, making choruses of each song sound equally amazing. Chris mixes in his heavy bass riffs and let's not forget that he almost mainly produced the whole album. Then finally, Cove's incredible singing. High pitched shouts and beautiful singing combined with the rest of the band equals Saosin. They start the song with brutal intensity, letting the listener know what to expect in the rest of the song. The verse is gentle guitar tremolo picking or just simple riffs, the drum slow but still expert, along with the bass smoothly running in the back, while Cove sings, soft for now. Then all of a sudden, almost out of nowhere, the guitars pick up speed and force. The listener feels pity on the strings of the (bass) guitars and the skin of the drums. Cove's voice sounds as if though it may be gone in a second, but then they slow down again for the next verse and followed by another heart pounding chorus. Then they change directions into the bridge (the best part of any Saosin song)where the playing changes, summing up the whole song together. Then an outro chorus finishes the song and you find yourself amazed, awaiting the next song which flows beautifully with the previous.
I also noticed their whole album has 3-4 sets of songs that all make sense with each other. Though I can't quiet interpret every set, it's obvious that they work with each other.
For now, I can play 6-7 Saosin songs and I plan on learning all the rest too. As I grow so do they, with their new EP that recently came out, the EP. It's obvious that Saosin went in a different direction, but no less great. Cove has lessened on the high pitched singing to make it easier to sing live, and it still works out! There's also screaming involved in this new album, which makes it even better. Their new LP comes out sometime in 2009 and I'm dying of eagerness to get it.
So now when I tell you I'm listening to Saosin, don't say "again?!" Cause now you realize how much their songs really mean to me. If you wanna try out a new band, try out Saosin and I bet you won't be disappointed. =]

Here's the videos for Voices, Bury Your Head, and You're Not Alone.