Almost Southern Weather CD

The Almost: Kevin Suggs (pedal steel guitar); Matt Slocum (strings, horns); Kenny Vasoli (bass guitar); Aaron Sprinkle, Aaron Gillespie.
Personnel: Aaron Sprinkle (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Jeremy Enigk, Aaron Gillespie (vocals); Matt Slocum (cello); John Painter (horns).
Audio Mixers: Dan Korneff; David Bendeth; J.R. McNeely.
Recording information: Compound Studios, Seattle, WA; House Of Loud.
Photographer: Parker Young.
On this debut album by his band the Almost, Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie steps out as a front man and songwriter, exploring the many facets of pop/punk. Clearly, Gillespie values melody and dynamics; the kaleidoscopic arrangements here marry power shredding to subtle, shifting tunes, most notably on "I Mostly Copy Other People," which boasts jackhammer drumming and guitars that chime and churn in equal measure., and the ballad "Amazing Because It Is," where an intimate, almost sultry vocal turn gives way to a hair-raising multi-tracked choral effect.
Best known as the drummer/vocalist for Underoath, Aaron Gillespie just can't stop the music from coming out of him, as he launched a one-man band, the Almost, during the early 21st century. The Almost's debut full-length, Southern Weather, followed in 2007, and proves that Gillespie must be quite a creative deciding factor in his full-time band, as the material is -- for the most part -- quite Underoath-esque. There are a few pleasant surprises however, such as a collaboration with Jeremy Enigk of the Fire Theft and Sunny Day Real Estate fame (the latter band is often considered the original emo band -- a style that Underoath specializes in), on the country-tinged ballad "Dirty and Left Out." But mostly, it's emo-rock that rules the day, especially such selections as the album-opening "Say This Sooner" and "I Mostly Copy Other People." Underoath fans will surely be proud of Gillespie and his one-man band. ~ Greg PratoSpin (p.84) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Throughout SOUTHERN WEATHER, Gillespie wails on the sort of hard-charging anthems that will probably make Switchfoot seethe with jealousy..."
Alternative Press (p.158) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Gillespie's croon is still distinctive, the 11 driving tracks on SOUTHERN WEATHER -- on which he played nearly every note -- allow him to stretch and sing his heart out..."