Let's Cheers To This＜White & Gold Smush Vinyl＞

On its second album, Let's Cheers to This, Orlando-by-way-of-Grand Rapids quintet Sleeping with Sirens has replaced two-fifths of the outfit, with lead guitarist Brandon McMaster replaced by Jack Fowler, and rhythm guitarist Rick Trombino by Jesse Lawson. (The rhythm section of bassist Justin Hills and drummer Gabe Barham remains in place.) But the focus remains on the high tenor vocals of Kellin Quinn. Call Sleeping with Sirens post-hardcore if you like, but Quinn is a closet singer/songwriter, and even when the guitars are screaming (and some of the background vocals are, too), he is musing in his reedy, often girl-like voice about his feelings. He reflects on family in "A Trophy Father's Trophy Son," and he pleads in "Postcards and Polaroids," "Before you go, could you love me just a little bit more?" Most of the time, the band blasts along, heedless of its lead singer's heart-on-his-sleeve sentiments, but they still come through, and that actually may expand the appeal of this band to a female constituency usually out of reach for groups that rock this hard. ~ William Ruhlmann