CD Review: Amity Lane - The Sound of Regret

From the ashes of Trust Company rises Amity Lane and with it a new album of anguished radio ready rock tracks. I admit, I never listened to Trust Company, and I am positive that I could not tell you a single song of theirs if even if I heard it. Will that hurt me as I listen to the debut Amity Lane, The Sound of Regret? Probably not, as the two members that were in Trust Company seem to be intent on creating a new image that is separate from their days in that other band. Kevin Palmer and Josh Moates are instead seeking to move forward into new ground with their new band.

Is The Sound of Regret any good? That is a pretty easy question to answer. The answer is not really. Now, before you get all bent out of shape, it is not bad, it just isn't terribly good. As I listen to it, I feel like I have heard this all before, maybe I have heard Trust Company and could just never put a name to the song. Perhaps, the dup should have forged ahead as Trust Company, at least then they would have had a little bit of built in name recognition.

The album is filled with open soundscapes of distorted chords with some mixed in melodic picking while some plain drumming fills in the back beat and keyboards at a touch of lushness. The angsty lyrics come in over the instruments in a way to make you think you are listening to something deep and meaningful. That is until you sit back and realize that this has all been done before.

I don't know, the talent involved seems to be competent enough. The music that comes out is just bland and seems content to splash around in the shallow end without the aspiration of something more. Maybe I am reading them wrong, I kind of hoping I am and they have a future release that floors me. As I listen to the album, I catch flashes of something more, but they are gone just as quick as they appear.

The opening of "Drown You Out" showed some promise with the building keyboard leading into the fuzzed out opening riff, but then it dies out as the vocals come in. Another flash of hope came with the groove kicking off "Die for You," which may be the best of the bunch, but even it has its time in the pit of mediocrity.

Bottomline. It is not that it is a bad album, it is not, it just doesn't impress me. It fails to standout in a crowd of sameness. I just want to hear something that doesn't blend in with the rest of what's on commercial rock radio. Again, I think the ability is there, maybe next time.

Not Recommended.