Safetysuit

SAFETYSUIT
"LIFE LEFT TO GO"
(Universal, 2008)


"Annie"


Another one of my in-store discoveries that I didn't know existed, this four-man band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, quickly reeled me in on the listening station when they demonstrated excellent vocal harmony in the first few bars of the first track. And, to my delight, that one track wasn't a fluke ... the album maintained a very respectable momentum all the way through, with no shortage of crafty hooks, intriguing instrumentation, and skilled vocals.

Newer-generation listeners will probably liken this band's sound to Switchfoot, which is a perfectly appropriate comparison (lead vocalist Douglas Brown even sounds quite a bit like Jon Foreman). But music fans of previous generations, like myself, may think of classic '80s bands like Journey (particularly when hearing the guitar in "What If") or Asia when they pay closer attention to Safetysuit's melodic sensibilities and tendency toward sweeping, echo-laden grandeur. But lest you think this is strictly an old-school affair, wait until you hear the eerie, spacey waltz that closes the album -- almost as if it were recorded in the future like a reverse message-in-a-bottle.

This is one of those bands that doesn't appear to have gotten any publicity from their record company, and it's a damn shame. Fans of any honest-to-goodness rock music -- including, but certainly not limited to, the groups named above -- will find plenty to like in this album, and should pick it up pronto.