Parking Lot Rockstar

At first listen, you might be tempted to write this band off as another Nickelback wannabe, but given a chance, I think they set themselves apart and hold their own quite nicely. Hell Yeah sets the tone right away and is an obvious first single and album opener, but its similarity to Kroeger & company is sure to make them an easy target of all the Nickelback haters. On the surface, the next few songs won't do much to challenge that impression. There is a sex song, and a laid back song with rock star in the title, and then an atmospheric ballad, so one has to assume that they are okay with the Nickelback comparison, but they've got some subtle differences that become more apparent on the second half of the album. Starting with You Are the Song, there is a shift in the vocals. The singer gets a little more of an axl drawl, and the back ups switch to a low harmony. Sticks and Stones continues that vibe as they begin to carve out a nice little niche for themselves with vocal deliveries, that, at times, sound a little like Tantric, or even Vanishing Point. And while there was nothing wrong with their Nickelback inspired opening, they are never going to be able to "own" that sound, but I think they have something more to offer if they can figure out how to build on what makes them different without losing what makes them good. I'll be looking forward to the next one ... -- Scott