Waking Ashland

The Well

[2.5/5] Waking Ashland’s 2005 debut on Tooth & Nail, Composure, quickly launched the band to the top of the extremely cluttered piano-infused emo-pop scene. After some lineup retooling, founding members Jonathan Jones and Ryan Lallier today find themselves part of the new youth movement at Immortal Records-a label still struggling for an identity after years of success with Korn and Incubus. The band struggle for their footing a bit, too, but in a lot of ways, The Well is exactly what you’d expect as a follow-up to Compusure-Jones’ vocal melodies soar smoothly over gentle piano riffs that have evolved from sugary pop to more “adult”-sounding chord progressions and patterns. Particularly, “Salt Lake Jam” and “Money” have punchy and swinging rhythms that are dead ringers for Ben Folds tracks. Unfortunately for Jones, Lallier & Co., these tracks outpace the rest of the record, which labors through a number of sluggish ballads and only hits its stride in a couple of other rockers like “Change” and “Let It Ring.” It’s hard not to appreciate a band striving for maturity, particularly in a decidedly immature genre, but The Well sounds like a classic example of a band who entered the studio knowing they only had a half-dozen solid songs. What’s good is really good, but there’s too much filler sitting on this album to really say the band have lived up to their enormous potential. (IMMORTAL) Kevin Wade

ROCKS LIKE:

Something Corporate’s North

Straylight Run’s Straylight Run

Ben Folds’ Songs For Silverman