Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely (Victory)

This album does nothing to dispel my suspicion there is a good pop-rock band lurking behind the screamo-pop conventions of much of Hawthorne Heights' music. However, tired power chords and pointless vocal chord shredding obscure the best the band has to offer. The most interesting music here lies in the quieter segments and, in particular, the song "Decembers."

If Only You Were Lonely is a significant leap forward from Hawthorne Heights' first album The Silence in Black and White. Song structure has been tightened up. The vocal screams closely identified with the band have been reduced in frequency and incorporated more directly into the fabric of the music.

However, Hawthorne Heights still have issues to resolve. They lack the sheer instrumental firepower required to be a top-flight guitar band, and, in terms of their lyrics, Hawthorne Heights' songs will not be remembered as great poetry. Despite these shortcomings, the band does have a strong sense of coherence and flow to their music, and they know how to please their audience. This awareness carries the listener through a variety of sonic rough spots.

JT Woodruff has a voice capable of sounding pleasingly sweet, but not saccharine, in the softer elements of If Only You Were Lonely. Significant development in vocal technique and delivery is evident here. He not only can carry a mellow intro such as in "Light Sleeper," but also successfully delivers an entire exposed ballad on "Decembers." Swathed in blankets of vocal harmonies, chiming guitar, and brushed snare, it's one of the most pleasing performances on the album.

If Only You Were Lonely is a rewarding artistic effort on its own, but it feels like a slightly rushed (not surprising with the band's grueling tour schedule) transition to a more fully developed statement from the band. Tunes such as "This Is Who We Are" and "Saying Sorry" deliver instrumental crunch that will work well in concert. However, there is a story and structural concept implied by the album's artwork and a number of lyrical passages that has not been given the opportunity to gel into a whole. The next time perhaps the band will take more time writing songs and working in the studio to produce a truly fearless melancholy statement.