Champion
The Audition aim to start 2008 with a bang. Concentrating on both the release and promotion of their second album “Champion” they have a UK tour planned, and are looking to take the pop-punk scene by storm. Hailing from Chicago The Audition have only one musical purpose and that is to make people dance.
Champion has the pressure of having to follow a very successful debut release, “Controversy Loves Company” which brought The Audition to light in September 2004. Since then The Audition have grown in popularity and appeared alongside bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Biffy Clyro and Fall Out Boy and made their debut appearance at Download festival in 2006.
Champion is definitely pop punk through and through with catchy melodies mixing seamlessly with the upbeat rhythms and almost forcing you to tap your feet even if you’re not a massive pop-punk fan. Champion is a very uplifting release as the combination of buoyant rhythms and cheerful guitar work creates the feeling of summer. This is demonstrated well in tracks such as “Make It Rain” which despite its title is summery and positive.
If you’re not a fan of pop-punk then this is definitely not an album for you as I believe with time it could become sickly. In places it seems to lack variation and sometimes depth but this could quite well be due to the fact that the band want to write accessible pop rock which gets people moving. They aim to engage listeners using the music instead of a so called “Hook” which is why The Audition are becoming so popular.
There are stand out tracks in the album including “Warm Me Up”, “Edinboro” and “Make it Rain” all made equally exciting by the power and control which Lead vocalist Danny Stevens has. I think this is a major asset to the band as it is distinctive and intense which adds to the lively atmosphere The Auditions music creates.
In my opinion Champion is not a “Classic” or something which will be in peoples “Top ten albums of all time” list. However it is a good album which is easy to listen to. It is upbeat and musically very good. The Audition are always nipping at the heels of rockers wanting to break out their dancing shoes and the new album is no different. If you want a band to cheer you up and make you dance, then check out The Audition.