With the aura of
Nickelback's modern-day equivalent still shining brightly,
Closure followed in those fresh footsteps with an eponymous debut that possessed all of the same qualities as the famous Canadians. The production is big and glossy, the riffs hit you with the same shiny brilliance that evoked memories of
Journey in the '80s and
Boston in the '70s, and the songs are all perfectly executed paeans that seem designed to appeal to rock radio programmers first and foremost. The Achilles' heel isn't the generic nature of the disc, as the band's obvious talents -- most notably Brian Howes' soaring vocals, harmonized with to full effect more often than not throughout the album -- are ample enough to overcome sounding similar. What taints
Closure is just how perfectly it parrots the pop charts; every note is perfect, every hook is perfect, every emotion seems there not for catharsis but commerce. The members of
Closure want to be rock stars, and there's nothing wrong with that. The problem isn't the ambition, it's how the ambition seems to have overridden everything else in the band's formation, and in these post-millennial times, forget about what the critics say -- the kids see right through such pandering. ~ Brian O'Neill