Posted: September 7th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase Release Date: September 5, 2008 via Skiddco Music
	Absence of Concern is: Michael Martin (Vocals) Jon Dray Lee (Guitar) Derek Blush (Guitar) Cedric Douglas (Bass) Adam Box (Drums)

Overview: They come from Jackson, Mississippi and they go by Absence of Concern. Born circa 2004, it didn’t take long for this five piece tandem to turn heads. In 2006, the band dropped an indie release entitled ‘Open Letters to a Closed Mind‘, whose hometown first week sales were topped only by Hinder’s ‘Extreme Behavior‘. Up in Memphis, Tennessee, producer Skidd Mills caught wind of Absence of Concern and the stir they were making further south, prompting him to ink the band to his production company Skiddco Music (Saving Abel, Tetanus). So the guys retreated to 747 Studios with Mills, wrote, jammed, and recorded a bunch of new tunes, and voila-you’ve got yourself a brand new Absence of Concern record. The eponymous sophomore effort will be available at all digital retailers this month, or can be purchased from the group’s MySpace page.

The Good: If you’re ready to party, then let’s go, because ‘Absence of Concern‘ is your invitation to a musical brouhaha that’s more memorable than your 5th birthday party with Snuggles the clown. Personal scars aside, Absence of Concern pops the cork with “Paper Trail”, that shakes, rattles, and rolls as the champagne sprays. Thirsty, eager, and fitted with a roomy, epic chorus, you know there are killer things to come after starting off on such a suave note. Despite sharing part of its namesake with an Ace of Base song, the bustling “Que Sera Sara” will undoubtedly open up your eyes and show you the sign. Its sassy rhetoric and saucy throwback beat will make you sweat, and the song might even remind you of ‘Contraband’-era Velvet Revolver as it did myself. The personal, heartstring puller “Close to Home” does anything but dam up the party’s flow, boasting a breezy and charismatic chorus plucked out of the 90’s that is seamlessly weaved within the serene acoustic verses for a relaxing transition. The pulse of this party is ready for a spike, the sporty, sizzling time to shine for “All Over You”. Carefree and uninhibited, this whiskey advocate’s anthem is ready to get you in the mood for any night on the town. Ladies, if you think “Every Time I Try” is the thoroughbred darling of a song you hear on the surface, listen again and pay close regard to the words. A cut that dares to bare, the racy, sexual literature of “Every Time I Try” is masqueraded in cunning fashion; and besides, any song that transcribes auto masturbation as curtly as “Every Time I Try” does deserves to have its ego “stroked”. While “Close to Home” might have been a slight 90’s tease, the gritty, shoe-gazing charm of “All Because of You” is the equivalent of waving a 90’s alt-rock steak in front of a vicious pitbull. The tune often steps respectfully into Toadies territory, as well as venturing into Eve 6 land from time to time, especially in regard to the Max Collins-esque vocal delivery of Michael Martin. “Beast in the Beauty” is a naughty and feisty babe, more rollicking and springier than the tryst that happened on the song’s mattress. Absence of Concern has a nasty groove going already, but the band adds little touches (chopping up the guitar riffs, using a China cymbal to crash on, as well as some spot double-bass work) to sharpen this damsel’s blade. Despite a slightly sensitive and despondent overtone, the poignant storybook “OK For Awhile” is actually quite glittery and enchanting, with an aura of hopefulness that can’t be ignored. The big kids don’t come out to play until later on, which explains why the album’s most robust and thorough song arrives only one track shy of the end. “Waiting on the Sun” is as celestial as it is whimsical, and although its chorus possesses one of the hookiest callouts on the whole record, the jaunt is almost too mature and studious to fight at radio. No bash ends without a last chance to dance, but with “Supernova Suicide” as the final song, it might seem more like getting shot out of a cannon. This fiery and crunchy laser is more than occasionally combative, and despite a brief sparkle in the bridge, “Supernova Suicide” powers Absence of Concern through one tyrannical and roaring kiss goodbye; my friends, that’s how ten songs of no nonsense rock is supposed to be done.

The Bad: I’m not usually one for crazy throwdowns, but I really wish ‘Absence of Concern‘ would have kept the record playing longer than just under 40 minutes. Although a lovely song, “Close to Home” hits too early, however the band protects the song’s position well by following it up with the adrenaline junkie “All Over You”. Want my least favorite track? As tough as it is to call one of these pistols any synonym to sub-par, I’ll have to go with “All Because of You”, simply because it is the closest to vanilla out of the rest. I can’t take anymore swings at ‘Absence of Concern‘, because they wouldn’t be justified.

Bottomline: Absence of Concern’s second disc was a whole different kind of experience for me. With just about any straight-ahead rock record I bust out for the first time, it usually takes me about a week or two before I’m down with the vibe the band’s got going on. By the time “All Over You” kicked in on my first spin of the record, I was literally up off my ass and gyrating around like a crazy person. The tunes were more than ear candy-they brought me an invigorating breath of life. These rock ‘n roll babies will have me up late into the night for a good while, my concern for this ridiculously stellar ten song play along far greater than my pending absence from sleep.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10