Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

Cross Rhythms radio listeners will know this Nashville-based four-piece for the radio-friendly electronica-tinged rock that they released when signed to Word. Now operating as an independent act this mixes up their synth-driven tracks like "Blacksheep" with a contemporary guitar-driven pop/rock which traverses stylistic giants such as Coldplay and Green Day. There are also some undercurrents of symphonic metal such as Within Temptation. I particularly liked the way Satellites & Sirens use spaces and volume dips to emphasise the energy and to let certain riffs breathe (the intro to "Take My Hand" for example) - this is no "compressed to flat" sound at all. Lyrically they're pretty straightforward ("Ready To Save" says exactly what you'd expect it to), but in a no-nonsense genre that's perfectly fitting. Vocally they remind me very much of Sum 41, but overall they're themselves. It would be interesting to hear them live to find out if the variations in the CD sound got flattened out - it'd be a shame if they were, as this is a very good, very interesting, CD. It took me ages to decide on a "best track", because there are just too many to choose from. In the end I settled on "Make A Mess".

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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