Hit The Snooze Button

The boys of Bril have come barreling out of San Clemente, CA with the kind of angst that only four kids from Orange County would consider to be extremely intense. Bril is the kind of band you’ll overhear on the “edgy” love interest’s iPod in a Mandy Moore flick. That is to say, they’re about as edgy as a butter knife. Airless Alarm is boring and it’s been done before. In fact, lead singer Dave Starr easily sparks comparisons between his band and that of Christian-crossover-gods Switchfoot. There’s a lot of rock crooning, and Scott Stapp proved that to be unnecessary long before he released his own sex tape.

ame Most of Airless Alarm is a pile of mush that seeps together into a formless shape. Tracks are barely discernible form each other, though the lead single “Far Away” certainly starts off catchy enough. It just doesn’t follow through. Here Starr sings, “I wish I could be myself/I wish you would try to understand what you mean to me/You used to be so close now you’re so far away/ What we used to be I guess you didn’t care to stay.” Does that make even a little bit of sense?

ame “Sold Yourself To Luxury” starts out extremely reminiscent of Coldplay, with minimal instrumentation. But as soon as the vocals kick in it becomes clear that this is no Chris Martin. By the song’s end Bril breaks into a strange, heavy jam sound with Starr getting unnecessarily shrill. Sadly, all of Bril’s songwriting skills follow this same self-destructive path.

ame The lack of creativity on Airless Alarm dooms it to complete banality. Don’t even bother.