By Josh Jarvis | EDGE STAFF WRITER
3 out of 4 Stars
Catch 22 made their huge debut on Victory Records with the album "Keasbey Nights" and followed up that incredible album with the "Washed Up" EP, which was released last fall. Catch 22's sound is up-tempo punk/ska with fast-sung verses and catchy sing-along choruses.
Catch 22 had received a lot of attention from their "Keasbey Nights" release, with the very distinct singing style of ex-vocalist Thomas Kalnoky, which nicely complemented the music.
Thomas has since left, being replaced by Jeff Davidson on the "Washed Up" EP; his vocals are not very evident, since all the songs are sung in choruses.
"Alone in A Crowd," their latest release, is another story. Davidson's vocals are well done - he doesn't have the most elegant singing voice, but the harmonies are on and he doesn't hold back. His passion is certainly up to speed with the rest of the band.
As far as the music in "Alone in A Crowd," it does not disappoint. Catch 22 uses an extremely talented three-piece horn section, and drummer Chris Greer is just amazing. He plays blazing fast and his timing is perfect. Having a drummer like that gives the rest of the band a lot of confidence to cut loose and play fast, and this album is bubbling over with fast songs.
The guitar rhythms laid down by Pat Calpin are simple and clean - he does bust out a couple of very nice solos to show that he's not your usual punk rock, power-chord guitarist.
Like any other band, Catch 22's sound has evolved in a number of places.
"Never Ending Story" and "Hard To Impress" display an angrier side of the band. While similar to "Dear Sergio" on Catch 22's first release, there are some harder breakdowns, something absent from the entire first release. "Point the Blame" has kind of a Less Than Jake feel, but other than that, Catch 22 has really kept a pretty consistent sound.
I would be lying if I said that this CD surpasses what I heard on "Keasbey Nights," but it certainly measures up. There are 14 songs, about 33 minutes of music, and an unlisted track, which is kind of amusing.
If you're looking to get into Catch 22, I think you would do well with "Keasbey Nights" or "Alone in A Crowd." Both albums rock the scene.
