A look at local band Ambellina

SEE THEM LIVE!

Where: STC (3201 W. Pecan in McAllen)

When: Sunday night, May 18th

On the web: http://www.dontgetemo.com

By Amy Nichol Smith 

One of the things Ambellina has going for them is that they almost don't sound like any other band.

Usually when someone suggests a band it's because they know you like another band who has a similar sound. For example, if you're a fan of Fall Out Boy, you'll likely dig Panic! At the Disco. If your favorite band is Death Cab for Cutie, then The Pale Pacific would be a no-brainer. Amidst so many pop rock clones, Ambellina stands on their own.

In fact, if I had to compare them to other bands, I'd have to say each song has a different comparision. Sometimes I hear All-American Rejects then the track changes and I hear Queens of the Stone Age. Which would seem odd, but somehow they make it work within their genre.

 Ambellina strikes a good balance with this album by not overloading the listener with too much rocking, they do slow things down a little for a few songs.

 "Lights Out", their first track, didn't really pick up for me until toward the middle of the song. The instrumentation is nearly flawless, but the way the song is sung feels awkward - at least in the beginning.

 The guys seem a little more comfortable with their roles by the second track, "The Breakdown: Part I". It's a high-energy song with clever lyrics and sung frantically, at times. More than anything though, the guitars are just fun to listen to because they're not used just as background noise.

 Finally I heard some songs I was familiar with from the handful of live shows I've seen. And here's where Ambellina lost me a little. The band lacked passion and energy when they recorded this EP. Maybe it's not fair to compare a live show with a studio album, but it feels like the boys are holding back - especially the lead singer and especially on the song they usually open their sets with, "The Breakdown: Part II".

 That is not to say this EP is bad, far from it, just saying they probably should've considered recording a live EP instead. Some bands feed off their audience and need that to fuel a kick-ass performance.

 Every song on this album has a different focus and something unique about it. The one thing that remains constant about Ambellina's first release is that this is one sexy EP - from the bass to the beat to the way each word is sung.

Best track: 4 (The Breakdown: Part II)

Worst track: 1 (Lights Out)

4 out of 5 stars

http://www.myspace.com/ambellinamusic

Amy Nichol Smith is a freelance writer for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4420.