The Format Interventions & Lullabies (2003) Elektra

I found out about these guys in late Fall/early Winter of 2003 when I saw them with Straylight Run. Not knowing what to expect, I found a band full of energy and catchy songs. The band was quite unique also by adding some alt./country sound to their music, the acoustic guitar (along with the electrics) added a nice touch, also. After going to that show when I got home I looked these guys up on the internet to find that they were just an acoustic band at first. The acoustic guitar sounds like it is meant to be one of the key instruments on the record. On the record they had different people do different instruments since it was only two people in the band at the time of the recording, including Josh Freese on drums.

The first song "First Single" starts out the album great with it's catchy chorus singing to you, "You know me, oh you think you do, you just don't seem to see I've been waiting all this time to be something I can't define. So let's cause a scene, clap our hands and stomp our feet, or something, yeah something. I've gotta get myself over me". This album has a good mix of songs from jams ("Sore Thumb"), Alt./country songs ("Tune Out"), Pop-Punk ("Let's make this moment a crime"), and acoustic driven ballads ("On Your Porch"). "On Your Porch" could possibly my favorite off of this release. The song just flows really well and is a song just to relax to.

Now, not the whole album is gems. It can get weak at some points where it just starts to repeat, yet it isn't that annoying. I definitely recommend you pick this up, you won't be disappointed.

(Garrett)