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Tokyo Rose's latest release The Promise In Compromise,
their third full length album since Rutgers University graduates Ryan
Dominguez (lead vocals/guitar) and Ryan Poulsen (bass/backup
vocals) formed the band in college, is steeped in power pop-punk excitement
flanked by classic rock influences, emo-drilled voicing, and ska-flask
rhythms. The band has gone through a slew of guitarists and drummers since
its conception, but in its latest incarnation Jake Margolis takes
billing as drummer and, a band that began as a quartet on its debut album
Reinventing A Lost Art in 2003 and their sophomore record New
American Saint in 2005, has slimmed down to a trio.
2007 marks Tokyo Rose's third time on the Vans Warped Tour and their
music shows that Warped Tour veteran status with reflections of the Tour's
high rankers like All American Rejects, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus,
Plain White T's, and Simple Plan. After hearing Tokyo Rose's
album I have to admit that I feel like I have heard all of this music
before from bands on the Warped Tour. It's not a slam against the album,
in fact, the album is a tremendous effort that resonates strongly with
the new generation of rock fans. But Tokyo Rose barricaded themselves
in the Warped Tour clique and don't reach out for more than what power
pop-punk has paved and what fans of the genre want.
Tokyo Rose show malleable facets in their pop-punk fare which can be
as soft punk as Driving East or as tight and urgent as Hit The
Light, even displaying a resemblance to The Classic Crime's
slant for hard rock edges coming through on the title and the adrenaline
frenzied guitar shreds on "A Pound Of Silver Is Worth It's Weight
In Blood." Tokyo Rose also showcase melodic rock guitar grinding
action on tracks like "I Won't Say" and "Call It What You
Like Just Leave Us Out Of It" with traits similar to Anberlin
and Emery. Tokyo Rose thrives on danceable pop-punk rhythms and
arcades of funky guitar riffs comparable to Fall Out Boy. The emo-voicing
of Dominguez's registers are similar to This Day And Age's lead
singer Jeffrey Martin with melodic timing that is upbeat and ripe
all the way through. The ska-punk sways on "We Can Be Best Friends
Tonight, But Tomorrow I'll Be" groove to a Controlling The Famous
surfing and the classic rock harmonies on "Seconds Before The Crash"
are solid and coil instinctually around each other. The salvo of rushing
guitar chords are tight with the rhythm sections merging into one uniform
pattern plaiting each song.
The Promise In Compromise, produced by Fred Archambault
(Avenged Sevenfold) and Mark Renk (Matchbook Romance),
shows traits of Tokyo Rose's predecessors and has the melodic instincts
to create polished pop-punk fare. Dominguez tells on the band's website
that the title of the album relates to the overall theme of the songs,
"I feel that all the songs on the record are loosely based around
people making promises that they cannot keep. We've encountered a fair
amount of that. I feel as though that definitely embodied out year, despite
all the great things we were able to do." It is a theme that is very
relatable to the new generation of rock fans. With more good things destined
for Tokyo Rose,
like their present tour with Bedlight For BlueEyes and Sound
The Alarm, the more hope they can offer to future generations.
-Susan Frances
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