The Surrender – Di Amor EP
  1. The Surrender
  2. Di Amor EP
  3. Released Independently
  4. myspace.com/thesurrender

The Surrender – Di Amor EP

It seems strange that “modern rock” does not just refer to rock music from our modern times. Instead, it is a very specific sub-genre, by some standards a certain style of alternative, and it seems that for most people it is either your favorite or least favorite form of the diverse range of music we call rock and roll. Personally, I fall into the second half, unable to see why Nickelback and the like should be selling any records. And yet there’s something about this new band, The Surrender, that takes this “modern rock” thing and makes it enjoyable, helping me to understand why people get excited about this type of music.

For starters, their sound has really nothing to do with Nickelback. That’s a huge help. Instead of stuffing vegetables in their pants and playing wussy riffs that try to sound edgy, The Surrender has the confident willingness to be incredibly melodic without losing the basic power that modern rock is supposed to have. Instead of forcing a cheesy growl or over-the-top loudness, Collin Elliott’s vocals are a straight up clean singing that is strong in its own right, reminding me of the well-developed, more melodic side of Linkin Park. And again, instead of playing lame music that tries to rock harder than it actually does, The Surrender adds slightly dancey drum beats and a synthesizer that is used throughout the album as a real instrument rather than cheap novelty gimmick for intros and bridges. The six-song EP closes with “Sides,” a softer rock song with a piano-lead on the first verse, adding one more reason this band has nothing to do with Nickelback, since not every song sounds the same here.

Criticism of more popular modern rock acts aside, The Surrender offers a fresh breathe of air with a more melodic and creative take on the genre. With former members of both Rock Kills Kid and Courtney Love/Hole, this band combines its experience to create something that rises beyond the usual melodrama into a realm of genuine feeling and rockin’ songwriting. My only real complaint with Di Amor is that I wish the vocals had more range to them, and this is hopefully something that will change with time as The Surrender continues to pull modern rock out of its current lifeless mediocrity.

7/10