I mentioned in my review of the Seattle’s Speaker Speaker’s EP here, that a full length was already recorded and waiting on release. Well, now we have the release of Call It Off. The album was produced by J. Robbins which might be a bit misleading at first. This is not Dischord/DC influenced indie rock in the slightest bit. Speaker Speaker actually echo the sounds of classic punk like Ted Leo, The Buzzcocks or even the power pop/punk of 90’s era Lookout Records. But, to be more exact, Speaker Speaker sound an awful lot like their Washington state brethren in the sadly defunct pop/punk band, Sicko. While Speaker Speaker are not as over the top humorous as Sicko, the two bands share a wealth of similarities. Call It Off is a fast paced affair as the band rarely takes their foot off the gas pedal. The band also reminds one of Portland’s Thermals in the way their attack their songs. But a lack of tempo shifts can spell doom for any album no matter how strong the songs may be. For the most part though, Speaker Speaker do an excellent job in keeping the listener’s attention. Songs are able to stand on their own and the band’s pop chops continue to shine through no matter the direction the band pushes towards. Still, even though this is the kind of stuff I usually fawn over, Speaker Speaker have not fully won me over yet. The trio certainly have the songs and the ability to put a big fat grin on your face but something still seems a bit lacking here. I hate to be so vague cause I have listened to Call It Off numerous times now and it is always an enjoyable affair. So, I guess I’ll just chalk it up to my own ignorance and go ahead and recommend Call It Off. Hell, you could do a lot worse. One side note, the album artwork by Jesse LeDoux is impressive.

Genre: Indie/Pop/Punk

RIYL: Sicko, Jawbreaker, Ted Leo

Label: Burning Building

Pick Me Up

06PickMeUp.mp3

Our Loudest Hours

12OurLoudestHours.mp3

www.myspace.com/speakerspeaker