Pop punk is similar to popcorn in the fact that it pops up all over the place, but after a while there isn't much difference between each kernel or in this case band. Alli with an I's I Learned it by Watching You is not earth shattering, but it is a solid effort to break into the already saturated genre.
Musically the album is aggressive and poppy. Powerful guitars and consistently abrasive drums carry I Learned it by Watching You from start to finish. The band uses starts and stops and musical pauses in all the right places.
Alli with and I has toured with bands like Ten Foot Pole, Taking Back Sunday, Rufio and Brand New and the influences from those bands are evident in Alli's music. "Don't Look Down" is a song that sounds a little like Ten Foot Pole, while "Last Parade" sounds a little like Taking Back Sunday without the screaming. Another band Alli with and I sounds like is Homegrown. "Set in Stone" sounds like it could have been on Homegrown's most recent record Kings of Pop.
Songs like "Letting Go" and "Absolutely Impossible" discuss relationship dramas and for that matter most of the songs on I Learned it by Watching You have something to do with relationships.
Vocally, Alli with an I sound somewhat young, but have the potential to find their voice without sounding like other bands. The vocal harmonies, which are sometimes sang and sometimes screamed are strong and placed in the right spots.
I give Alli with an I's I Learned it by Watching You a 6.5 (out of 10). It's a solid record, but nothing too unique or out of the ordinary. If they continue to experiment and tour with big name bands like they have in the past, they will be on their way to success. The receipt for pop punk is not a hard one to follow and all Alli with an I needs to do is open the cabinet and and spice it up.
I Learned it by Watching You hits stored November 4, 2003.
Suggested Listening: "Up North" and "Absolutely Impossible"
By: Adam K. Zakroczymski III - Senior Editor / Founder
October 30, 2003
