Review by Rachel Jablonski
You may remember Josh Todd from his days as front man of Buckcherry. You MUST remember Josh Todd, he’s quite unforgettable. Singing the controversial song “Lit Up” with that impressionable King of Hearts tattoo covering his entire back, there’s no way anyone could forget. And even if you have, now you are forced never to forget his name. So, let’s now welcome back to the music scene Josh Todd of Josh Todd.
Josh Todd (the band) was formed after Josh Todd (the singer) answered a vocalist wanted ad in a magazine. Filling the role as singer for this already formed band, the band name decided upon must have seemed logical enough. Josh Todd. Not The Josh Todd Band, but Josh Todd. Even musical genius Devin Townsend who writes the music for his projects entirely has “The Devin Townsend Band” as a title. This may be beside the point, but I can’t help but mention the band name factor because it is strangely unsettling to me in a way. But don’t let the name or my rant deter you from listening to the music of Josh Todd (the band).
The signature voice of Josh Todd dominates the album. The verbal styling is loud and heavy demanding focused attention. The vocal sound is so abrasive that it is difficult at times to decipher whether the vocals compliment the music or the music compliments the vocals. Though domineering, the vocal arrangement is appropriate for each musical piece of the album. Josh Todd (the band) is not solely about lung power.
The mood is set at the beginning of each song with a few solely instrumental measures before the vocals break in. There is a definite prototype in song composition with the instrumental entrance and vocal dominance, however there is also a variance in musical presence that seems to alternate throughout the album as well. Soft songs like “The Walls,” the band’s first single “Shine,” “Afraid,” “Burn,” “Circles,” and “Lovely Bones” share album space with hard, heavy songs like “Blast,” “Flower in Cages,” “Straight Jacket,” and “Slave.” The highlight of the album is these heavy tunes. Crunchy guitars and crisp percussion will satisfy most any fan of rock. The slower songs are more like tepid water, neither extraordinary nor horrible, just simply there.
Once you can figure out or at least get past the phenomenon of Josh Todd (the band) vs. Josh Todd (the person) you may be surprised. Josh Todd (the band) is a good mix of hard and moderate rock that picks up and surpasses where Buckcherry left off.