Soft Targets consist of singer/guitarist Jesse Corry and bassist/keyboardist Nathan Sadler and drummer Steven Gillespie. The debut album of this Tallahassee, Florida band is a blend of The Cure and Aztec Camera in terms of pop sounds. This is not quite power pop, and closer to indie pop with Corry’s vocals almost like Peter Murphy without the baritone. The melodies on the album are appealing in places with “Calm Me Down” being close to the style of the Talking Heads with some great guitar melody. In a funky way the song “The World Looks Bigger Now” is the most fully realized with harmonies and some nice arrangements, crisp guitar playing. The other songs that follow are pretty pedestrian, and don’t have the kind of hooks that stand out much. I was ready to write off the album at that point, but when the song “Skyscraper” took hold with a sharp guitar riff and catchy melody that merits attention. It’s got a glam-like heart with some nice harmonies and proves to be the best song on the album. After this we get the keyboard ballad “Sirens” which almost sound like Eric Matthews or Cardinal and makes a great contrast to the earlier tunes. The album picks up stream toward the end with other notable tracks (“Heavy Rainbow” and “Small Straight”) Overall, this album has several good tracks, and deserves some consideration.
Listen to the “Calm Me Down”
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