The Audition make all the right moves on Controversy Loves Company, their Victory debut. Danny Stevens sings songs like "You've Made Us Conscious" and "The Ultimate Cover Up" from the threshold between indignation and having a good cry, the young quintet's songs are compact dynamos of emo urgency, and every single triumphant break or righteous gang vocal moment can be anticipated at least a measure before it arrives. And it always arrives. Because like hundreds (thousands?) of their savvy peers starting bands in a generation raised on Warped Tours, the Audition know every inch of the template. A propulsive beat, vaguely meaningful lyrics ("Why can't you accept the fact that I'm only as loyal as my options?"), hyper guitars, and those pleading vocals -- with the right production and enough MySpace friends, the future can be pretty bright. Just ask
Fall Out Boy. ~ Johnny Loftus