"I always choose another way..."

In the spirit of independence, I had to discuss this.



The Shout Louds do not equal The Cure.






No one will ever be similar to the Cure in my eyes through sheer force of Robert Smith and his being the iconic voice/image of a generation. Regardless, I think a lot of what's being said about The Shout Out Louds due to their new material is doing the band a disservice. Just because one track has some similarities, you can't use that to confine an entire band's sound (both previously and currently) into a genre.

I had downloaded the "Tonight I Have to Leave It" track when it blasted its way across the internet. Immediately, I was bombarded with the comparative text on every blog or site's evaluation. They all began their assessment of the material with the fact that it sounds like the Cure and then drudged up other songs to use to keep that hypothesis alive.

I bought the previous Shout Out Louds album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff on a whim in 2005 when one track was playing in the background during a trip to Newbury Comics. Because I enjoyed it so much, I refuse to buy into the heavy comparison that is being made elsewhere. I hear the influence of the synth and electronic on the music, yes, and this one song does a lot in support of the statements being made online. But overall, The Shout Out Louds are more earthy than a Cure comparison would suggest. Say Kings of Leon and maybe you'd be more on track, I believe. The Shout Out Louds aren't new wave-y or 80's reminiscent in any way, but really have a grungier but lighter sound like a lot of their comtemporary Swedish rock acts. It fits neatly into that indie category for now, but wavers between a folkier retro rock composition and an edgier more melodic atmosphere.

Take a listen for yourselves.
Shout Out Louds in 2007 from the forthcoming Our Ill Wills - Tonight I Have to Leave It

Shout Out Louds in 2005 from Howl Howl Gaff Gaff - Very Loud