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American Babies music is well refined, but needs more lyrics

Date published: 10/9/2008

BY NINA GONZALEZ

Piece by piece, American Babies' self-titled debut album brings together all the upsides of acoustic rock and original composition into 11 carefully forged tracks.

The songs don't come to a halt when they end--they loop around into one continuous melody. The unbeatable combination of bass, guitar, vocals and piano creates a crisp, clean sound that covers listeners with a creative blanket of music.

The pairing of urban, East Coast flair and country twang found on the album makes for an interesting combination of tender and meaningful lyrics. The shades of country may be a turnoff to some, but the tone of American Babies feels appropriate for big-city gigs in restaurants and cafes.

Their subtle, yet fitting use of the piano leaves a mark through each song--especially "Swimming at Night."

With the lines "Your pulse can set the time/ Your heart conducts mine," the melodic words draw one in deeper with each listen. The lyrics are far from cheesy and cheap--they have a deep, poetic sound reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard.

Unfortunately, American Babies does not always take advantage of frontman Tom Hamilton's impressive lyrical talent. The music's focus is sucked up by the instrumentals.

There are three tracks in particular that stand out in a full listen. Although they don't fit with the feel of the remainder of the album, they do fit as background music for any occasion.

Overall, the album provides some promise for the band in the future. American Babies certainly proves its talent within the first three tracks. With a little more variation and transition, the band would provide a more interesting contrast to the many homogenous bands of its genre.

Nina Gonzalez is a junior at Stafford High School.

Date published: 10/9/2008