Formed from the same New Brunswick scene that launched
Midtown,
Outsmarting Simon made their recorded entry with
Silent Sober and Sound in late 2002. Within a year -- after stints opening for
A New Found Glory and
Good Charlotte -- the group aligned with Triple Crown Records with the intention of giving the masses a dose of its passionate, eclectic punk. Upbeat, college airwave-ripe anthems ("...And So Ends the Drought," "Drive By Monologue") are balanced with slow, evocative songcraft ("Taylor Led a Chorus") and experimental statements ("The Ties"). The bandmembers' ambition rarely gets the best of them on
Silent Sober and Sound, although the group does feel a bit derivative on "We Are Who We Hate," which owes a bit of acknowledgement to fellow Garden Staters/scene leaders
Thursday. Still,
Outsmarting Simon offer a predominantly inventive and largely inviting debut. ~ John D. Luerssen