G$makr Music
2007
I’ve been criticized for liking a particular genre of rock/pop music. The general membership of this club over the years has consisted of Matchbox Twenty, Better Than Ezra, Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and myriad others. I’m putting Kill the Alarm and their new album Fire Away in that genre, and that means I like this New York City-based band.

Kill the Alarm (do they hate to wake up in the morning or do they really hate the band The Alarm?) is often compared to Matchbox Twenty, which is an apt comparison. And I think they sometimes even sound a bit like Daughtry. But I find the sound more reminiscent of the mid- to late-1990s band Dog’s Eye View. (Technically, Dog’s Eye View made a “comeback” in 2005, but I sort of missed that.) If you liked Dog’s Eye View songs such as “Everything Falls Apart,” you will definitely enjoy Kill the Alarm.

The Fire Away CD starts out well with “Sit Up,” an infectious song that will be rattling in your brain long after you’ve stopped listening. It offers that good mix of alternative rock and pop that should appeal to a wide audience. The listener immediately begins feeling comfortable with the vocals of Garen Gueyikian, who has a smooth voice with just enough quirkiness to make it interesting.

The title track follows and falls a bit flat after “Sit Up.” “Fire Away” simply doesn’t offer anything as interesting or catchy as most of the other songs on the CD. But the band quickly gets back to a good tune in the third track, “Uncovered,” which is a bit slower and has a really good feel to the song.

“No More Excuses” is the tune that drew me to the Matchbox 20-meets-Daughtry comparison. It’s a solid song, slow enough to bring out the cigarette lighters at a concert but with enough heavy guitar to still attract their rock audience. As far as Top 40 appeal, this song along with “Sit Up” and “Never Come Around” seem most radio friendly.

“Never Come Around” is another that has a catchy chorus. It’s an anthem for those who have had someone try to change who they were:

Why should I try to be something I’m not?_
You can count on one thing,_I will never come around_
Here is goodbye if you try to change my mind

My personal favorite song on the album is “Collide,” which is the final track. There’s something about it that sounds like early 1990s band Enuff Z’nuff. Now that’s not a comparison you hear every day. The song catches your attention immediately with the lyrics:

I want you to corrupt me, I want you to make me bleed
I want to be your savior, I want to part your seas

Um, OK. Nothing wrong with parting a few seas, I suppose.

Overall, for those who enjoy this genre of music, you will enjoy Kill the Alarm. The band has put out a solid album that offers a mix of toes tapping and head—hmmm, not really banging, how about bumping? Check them out now so if the band hits it big you can say you were on board way back in the day!

Kill the Alarm has a date in-state on Oct. 10 as the group performs at Jammin’ Java in Vienna.

-Tim W. Jackson