Artist: Sugarcult
Album: Lights Out
Label: V2/Fearless
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: September 12, 2006

Overall: 6.5
Music: 6.5
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 6.0

Sugarcult’s continued (or perhaps continuing is a better word) progression as a band is evident on their latest release, Lights Out. Crashing drums and power chords highlight the band’s pop punk roots, but more complex guitar interludes and scruffier vocals signal a departure. Unfortunately creating vocals that sound like Tim Pagnotta’s been smoking two packs a day since the release of Palm Trees and Powerlines is a bit much.

Valida’s Editorial Note: To me, the change in vocal style is a blatant announcement (put out by the band itself) that the band has matured. Sadly, it translates more like the imagery at the end of the third Matrix movie, which is so in-your-face that it forces the viewer into understanding the film exactly as the directors intended instead of allowing him/her to explore and find meaning on his/her own. In creating art – be it music, film, or painting - it’s important to remember that art is a form of expression and that its beauty is in the myriad interpretations that arise from that expression.

But perhaps Pagnotta truly has upped the intensity of his smoking and the vocal changes aren’t as superficial as I find them to be. So let me continue. “Lights Out� and “Dead Living� which kick off the album are extremely reminiscent of Palm Trees, as are a few other tracks including “Majoring in Minors� and the mildly depressing lullaby “The Investigation�. Further, while some of the experimentation and growth displayed on this album are still a bit rough, “Shaking� does piece itself together to be a successful pop song and there’s a lot of promise elsewhere.

Track Listing:
1. Lights Out
2. Dead Living
3. Los Angeles
4. Do It Alone
5. Explode
6. Out Of Phase
7. Made A Mistake
8. Riot
9. Majoring In Minors
10. Shaking
11. The Investigation
12. Hiatus