Hawthorne Heights
If Only You Were Lonely

THE REVIEW

This "If Only You Were Lonely" is the latest work by Hawthorne Heights, following the album with boxes and boxes of copies sold, "The Silence In Black And White". "The Silence In Black And White" was the pinnacle of commercial pandering. A mediocre emo/rock/pop album that built its success (and boxes of copies sold) simply because it was released when the "emo" music genre was at its peak. The only noteworthy track on that record was "Ohio Is For Lovers," out of eleven. It was reasonable to expect from such a cunning band a "The Silence In Black And White Pt. 2," disguised under the name "If Only You Were Lonely." In reality, Hawthorne Heights took a bit of courage and marked a small shift from their debut album.

Overall, "If Only You Were Lonely" is much closer to a Pop/Punk/Rock album than the "Nu-Emo" of its predecessor. But what do I mean by that? First of all, there is much less "scream" (if you can call it that) than before. Secondly, the ultra-melodic arpeggios that characterized the songs of "The Silence" are no longer present; in short, the melodies are more "concealed." Besides these changes, the strengths and weaknesses that distinguish this band remain. The ability to produce damn "catchy" melodies, the kind you can't help but hum, from the band’s three guitarists has remained unchanged, for example. But Hawthorne Heights have a terrible flaw. That of never varying what they do. So aside from three or four songs (the single "Saying Sorry,” the opener "This Is Who We Are,” "We Are So Last Year,” and the piano-featured ballad "Decembers"), which immediately stick in your head thanks to their instant appeal, the rest of the album is far too homogeneous, aided by the annoying tendency of Hawthorne Heights to write all mid-tempo songs.

Ultimately, certainly a more honest album than "The Silence" (overlooking the two "collectable" editions... Victory comes up with all sorts of gimmicks to make money!), its strength lies in the immediate melodies, yet it suffers heavily from excessive repetitiveness and the absence of particularly memorable tracks (even though it has its two or three good singles).

Mediocre.