Album Review :
The Reception - Does It Keep You Awake?

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Artist: The Reception
Album: Does It Keep You Awake?
Label: None (released independently)
Review by: Eric
www.thereceptionwillfollow.com
www.myspace.com/thereceptionmusic

There are a lot of bands out there. There are piles and piles of names throughout each individual subgenre of rock music, and it is very difficult to weed through and separate the good from the bad. Some days every new band I check out is amazing. Other days every new band I check out is awful. There is that special something needed to distinguish a band from the piles and piles of others. The Reception is one group that lies somewhere in the middle.

To be honest, I had composed a negative review earlier this week, but then I couldn’t post it, so this afternoon I thought I’d give the CD one last chance just in case, and this time it finally clicked. For a while I tried and tried but just couldn’t get into this album. The difference this time? Maybe it’s only because I just woke up from a much much needed nap. Regardless, The Reception does have some nice music to offer. Their formula is pretty good. They play some fast songs and some slow songs. They use melody and energy together, with the addition of a synth or strings or maybe an acoustic guitar or a piano depending on the mood of the song. Some songs remind me of MxPx, others remind me of Mae, still others remind me of something more adult contemporary friendly. The lyrics are very spiritual, mainly speaking of the need for God’s love for themselves and everyone else.

My main complaint for this album is a lack of strong feeling and passion behind these songs. It’s there occasionally, but overall I feel this is missing, which could be due in large part to the rather plain vocals. Still, with experience and a great producer, The Reception has potential to be an enjoyable band. They may not be the most technical out there, but at least they play more than the three same power chords over and over again.

5/10

Official Site
purevolume
myspace

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