Saosin – In Search Of Solid Ground

It’s a daunting task to make a record – especially when you have to follow a successful debut like Saosin’s self-titled breakthrough. With all of the critical acclaim that these post-hardcore O.C. rockers received for their first full-length release in 2006, you could imagine that there would be a bit of pressure to follow it up. Well, nothing like taking all of that pressure off by having your own guitarist (Beau Burchell) take up the challenge of mixing all of the songs, right? Although they enlisted the help of several established producers to help them through the rest of the process, the majority of their ambitious second full-length, In Search of Solid Ground, was brought to fruition by the band themselves.

Before I get into a few minor issues with the recording of the record, it should be noted that In Search Of Solid Ground is indeed solid. Everything that established Saosin (the catchy choruses, the edgy guitar riffs, the sonic nuances, etc.) as a prominent force on the post-hardcore scene with their first record is done again here, but with more depth and style. However, writing songs is one thing, but mixing/recording is an entirely different animal. “What Were We Made For?” is just one example of a great, technically solid song that just lacks that next level of energy – most noticeably during the choruses. The verses carry along nicely with an interesting mix of light acoustic and electric picking, but the transitions into the choruses (where you expect the guitars to – excuse my “Spinal Tap” reference – “go to eleven”) are void of a much needed boost in volume and unfortunately end up flatlining.

And speaking of boosts in volume: where are the drums? Drummer Alex Rodriguez drops some amazing beats on this record, but at times they get pushed to the back of the mix. The drums should by no means overtake the other instruments, but they definitely could have used a little more punchiness, especially on the harder stuff like “Why Can’t You See?” and “Is This Real.” These may seem like symptoms of inexperience behind the mixing board, but getting the most out of your instruments and being able to translate a live energy is a difficult task for an experienced audio engineer veteran, let alone the guys in Saosin.

Then again, maybe the lack of dynamics has to do with the restricted freedoms that come with being signed to a major label. The songs themselves, albeit catchy and musically engaging, seem to be at times confined within a radio-friendly glass ball, not meeting their full sonic potential. “Say Goodbye,” the most well-rounded track on the album, breaks through these constraints with an extra kick of bass to help propel the huge wall of guitars during the intro and choruses. The band seems to give a little extra something on this spirited track that concludes with a dreamy swell of keys accompanied by vocalist Cove Reber’s ambient “oooh’s” and a latent digital synth beat pulsating in the background. For some, this may be just seem like superfluous filler, but it actually adds some much needed depth and is a sign of their growth as musicians.

In Search Of Solid Ground is a worthy followup to Saosin’s self-titled debut, but I can’t help but wonder what the album would have sounded like if the band would have handed over all mixing/recording duties to a single engineer/producer. But with technology on the rise and the music industry on the decline, it wouldn’t surprise me if Saosin pulls a Thrice and attempts to make their next record completely on their own. Hopefully next time around fans won’t have to wait another three years to hear it.

Tagged as: Alternative Rock, California, newport beach, post-hardcore

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