Under the Flood is five-piece band from Charlottesville, Virginia that centers on brothers and principal songwriters Dave Nadolski and guitarist Matt. Together with guitarist Brandon Sidebottom, bassist Kenn Davis, and drummer Justin Hayden, the group provides a 35 minute album that is heavy on riffs, but not solos, as well as a lot of soft/loud dynamics that we have all heard a million times from a thousand other bands. Essentially, there is nothing wrong with this album aside from the fact you probably already own albums just like it or at the very least, a few sound-alike songs in your IPOD.

The Witness, despite its familiarity, is not without its high points. I freely admit that I found on more than one occasion nodding along to the simple power chords and arching vocal harmonies. I have to presume that Dave is doing all of the vocals with the harmony parts being multi-tracked, as Dave is the only person credited with vocals on the CD’s sleeve. This assumption makes me curious as to how Under the Flood achieves these songs live as harmonies and other vocal affects, such as echo, have a significant role in just about every song.

Most worthy of praise is “Open Me Up” not only for its alternately chugging and chiming riffs but also for the dichotomy of the usual meaning of its song title and the actual topic therein. At first glance, “Open Me Up” looks like another one of those cheesy, sensitive rocker moments. However, the only time this album pleasantly surprised me is when Dave proclaims, “You open me up. You take what’s inside.” Someone or something is robbing the speaker of an essential component and is using it for its own needs, in other words, a parasite. That is a clever jab at the typical and is something The Witness needs more of. Hopefully, it’s an idea that the members of Under the Flood can use as a springboard for other new ideas for future releases.

Under the Flood’s sound seems exactly what modern rock radio stations want on their playlists. They nestle perfectly into what radio programmers label as “alternative rock” while it’s something that everyone has already heard. In other words, it’s rock, but it’s safe. The Witnessis a very appropriate title as, like any good witness, it remembers exactly what it saw and is able to regurgitate it when prompted.

www.myspace.com/undertheflood