These Things, the debut album of Chicago-born Channel Theory is an insightful, refreshing experience, all printed onto a disc. The group seems to pull influence from bands such as Something Corporate and Death Cab For Cutie. The sound of the record itself isn't too different from most singer/songwriter albums, but a small sense of individualism is present in this release.
The album in itself is instrumentally light, using a normal bass/drums/guitar/vocals setup, with several appearances by piano. This isn't a bad thing however, as most of the songs are vocally driven. The album never gets too fast, most of the songs are relaxing and easy on the ears. The vocalist's voice reminds me of another singer, who I can't think of right now, and the bass guitar throughout this whole release is very captivating.
These Things gets off to a good start, with the opener Figure It Out, followed by A Theater of My Own and Press Start to End, which effectively carry the album on. Things slow down a bit when acoustic The Pressure of Silence hits, but begins to regain its momentum when the fifth track I'm Still Here plays. The seventh track (Work of Art) brings back a positive feeling to the album, and Hold Tight boasts guitar lines similar to older Circa Survive. The album would not be what it is though, without the closer Paint the Sky.
This release pulls through successfully as a debut release from a new artist, but may not effectively stack up against similar styles unless a sense of uniqueness is added into the next release. Not all bands need to be different, but it seems like something is missing from most of these songs.
Keep your eyes peeled for more from Channel Theory in the near future.
The Damage:
3 out of 5 Mustaches
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this is decent. I like A theater of my own.
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