Warning: Do not be fooled by the delicate and peaceful piano intro on Sons of One’s new album Just One Thing. Give it about fifty seconds and then you’ll get kicked in the face by hard riffs and an edgy voice telling us he’s here to sing and shout his heart out. “Raison D’etre” is a simple song that makes a proclamation as to why the band is here. Like any good band, these four men, from Wichita, Kansas, are here to make music and be heard. This is a fun and catchy tune that’ll make a good opener at concerts. Well, it’s about as “fun” as an alternative rock song can get. Just One Thing is an album that grows on you with each listen. The first listen is passive and it’s something to fill the empty silence. But with each subsequent listen, you hear something new each time and learn to appreciate the strum of each note or the sound of each cymbal crash.
No hard rock album is ever complete without the soft rock ballad. It’s become a standard that these brutish men must always show their delicate side, most likely to prove to the female fans that they have a heart. “Who I Am” peels back the protective layer to reveal the fragile, emotional interior that we all try to hide. The song is warm and inviting, yet it’ll still knock you down with relentless force. The ferocity increases tenfold on the latter half of the album —as if to prove their might. “I Know” makes you doubt every lyric sang on “Who I Am” as singer Tim Bravo tells us he “Can be a real son of a bitch.”
Lyrically, this album is a catharsis for our negativity, our angst, and our fears. By the time I make it to “Born of Frustration” I feel completely wiped out emotionally. Although I had listened to this song twice before, it wasn’t until my third listen that I actually let the lyrics sink in and it made me almost want to cry. This song can resonate with us all because we have all been to the breaking point, the edge of our sanity. Tim asks, “Give me a sign . . . / Cause hope is getting harder to find.” This melodic beauty just climbed it’s way to the top of my favorite song list in a matter of minutes.
Sons of One give us that edge we’ve been looking for without being over the top. Just One Thing combines sharp riffs, soaring guitar solos, precision drumming, and unforgettable vocals and lyrics. It’s an album you can bang your head to, but more importantly, it’s an album you can connect with and relate to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristen You can read more about Kristen at her new website http://beerenlightenment.wordpress.com/
