"All the Stars and Boulevards" by Augustana

Released 9/6/05
Sony/ Epic



I first knew of Augustana on my launchcast radio, and was intrigued enough to give them a try. They are sort of a mix of indie-emo-ish alt rock. They actually remind me of Our Lady Peace, minus the ultra-recognizable vocalist. At best, Augustana's debut release All the Stars and Boulevards is a feeble attempt at greatness. Don't get me wrong, I did not hate this album at all. It just failed to wow me like I was expecting it to. The main theme is centered around taking off and leaving, and searching for the concept of "home". This would lead one to believe that the tracks on this album have the potential to reach those core feelings within each of us. Unfortunately, it falls a little short.

The lyrics are not too clever or complex, and the emotion feels forced throughout most of the album, which really bothers me. Perhaps they were just looking for a few radio-ready singles...but who knows. The songs run together slightly, and it is easy to tune out. Which is great if you are looking for something to provide background noise.

The album starts out with Mayfield, which I feel was not the best choice. It could be the very reason for my luke-warm feelings. Debut albums need a first track to kick you in the face with awesomeness (aka, Weezer's “My Name is Jonas”, or Brittany Spears's ...”Baby One More Time” (that is a joke btw)) The second song picks up and gets your toe tappin’ for a moment or two. After local radio hit “Boston”, you forget that you are supposed to be listening to this album to later write a review for it...because its mellowness is slightly on the bland side. Once you are back listening and focused on the task at hand, and also wondering if you have A.D.D., you'll catch the final track “Coffee and Cigarettes”. This was my favorite songs on the album because it feels real. If all the tracks sounded like this one, this album would be well worth the $11.99 I paid for it.

This album is not completely interesting, slightly uninspired, and will most likely be quickly forgotten. It will most definitely NOT change the world. On the other hand, I can think of several worse things to listen to which are readily available to you via Clear Channel Communications. I would be interested to see where Augustana goes with their next album. If they promise me to step it up a notch, I would give it a chance. I feel that they do have a lot of potential to do great things, they just aren't quite there yet. You have to give Augustana some credit however. They started out as a college band, followed their instincts to quit school and pursue rock stardom. Kudos for livin' the dream!

2.5/5 stars

Stand out Tracks:
“Bullets”
“Stars and Boulevards”
“Coffee and Cigarettes”

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