Another Surprising Solo Album

7.5/10

Underoath are known for their extreme christian tinged hardcore, and mainly known as "the band with the drummer that sings". Now that drummer that sings has decided to step into the limelight a bit more, and front his own side project with the album Southern Weather. This album is very similar to the Foo's first outing in that like Grohl, Aaron Gillespie (the aforementioned singing drummer) records every instrument in the studio and sings almost every lyric, with a few notable guest appearances on vocals that prove quite outstanding.

To begin with the first single "Say This Sooner" is a driving percussive slice of pop-rock heaven and it comes out as anthemic as intended while being easily more compelling than most of Gillespie's contemporaries. "Dirty and Left Out" is a quieter more mellow affair with a strummed country tinged guitar and aid from emo godhead Jeremy Enigk the track is the only one of the bunch to not take a turn toward the anthemic and stays subtle for the most part until Gillespie evokes Jesus and sings the line master, savior, Jesus, it's enough to make someone who is not a fan of christian music cringe, but given the fact that Gillespie never does anything without a reason and never does something to simply pander, one can hardly blame him for simply singing earnestly, and it also begs the listener to keep an open mind. "I Mostly Copy Other People" features the other big guest appearance, Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line lends bass and vocals to this track and it is by far the best song on the album. The album can sometimes wear due to a lack of variation, and it borrows heavily from a consistent formula of heart-on-sleeve emo and thus can be an album that demands you be in the correct mindest.

Southern Weather is an album of hooky guitars, driving percussive drums and plenty of sing-along choruses, you'll want to pump your fist in the air with all of these songs, and especially with the angelic choir and operatic rock of "Amazing, Because It Is" even with the more overt religious imagery on this album none of it fails to detract from the tight songwriting and solid performances Gillespie gives throughout.