Tonight, I asked a friend to recommend a band--any band would do, but I would prefer someone new to me. He recommended Test Your Reflex, a southern California band that he described as "alternative meets indie." I went to the website, looking forward to what I would find.
Test Your Reflex
As for the visual of the site, I was very impressed. Someone did a great job, and the links were easy to navigate. I will be snagging one of the jellyfish wallpapers in the "Extras" section. I went right to what I came for--the "Music" tab. I read the reviews listed, and liked what I read although there were only a few reviews. It was noted that they covered and opened for the Smashing Pumpkins. I haven't found a copy of the cover, but I'm interested in hearing it, as I love the Pumpkins but really don't care for Billy Corrigan. I listened to most of the songs before deciding an overall feel.
Test your Reflex is a really good band. Their music is solid. They play very well together. The melodies work with the music and it pulls off a very full, solid sound. However, I've heard it before. It's not original. The lead singer sounds like Tom Chaplin of Keane, and the music is very much like The Killers. Even though I liked it, I've heard it. It wasn't interesting. Would I put it on my mp3 player? Nope, I have The Killers and Keane already on there.
Overall, I would say give them a listen. The album The Burning Hour is up on their website, with an easy pop-out window--just don't expect anything radical at this point. I think they have amazing potential in the alternative scene, but I think they need to step out of the box.
