Mourning September – A Man Can Change His Stars
Label: Floodgate
Style: Emo, Punk Revival, Rock
Released: 2004
My Grade: 2.5 stars
AMG: n/a
Sounds like: Story of the Year, All American Rejects, My Chemical Romance

The press releases for Mourning September state very strongly that this band sounds unique, that they don’t fit into the mold of bands who use terms like ‘post’ or ‘core’ to describe styles of music; and in that they are correct, Mourning September is neither post anything or the core of anything, they are very much the average, run-of-the-mill, American emo band circa 2004.

I guess I need to give them some credit; they are a new band, with a debut album released to national distribution – something that is not easy to come by. The plus side is that they are trying to create some upbeat songs, compared to the heartbroken fodder that is saturating the pop market at the moment. But then they do not have the musicianship needed to command the listener. They do not have what it takes to stand out. These guys are the average – a perfect example of a band that is neither band nor good; a band that has not found their sound. The songs are catchy enough and the production is top notch, it is just not anything worthwhile, or anything I particularly want to listen to.

Reviewed by:Samuel Aaron