Thomas Giles - Modern Noise (2014)

After the release of a fantastic concept EP + album and some immense touring, the singer and keyboard player of Between The Buried And Me is once again ready to present a album in his solo project. "Modern Noise" is the second solo album made by Thomas "Tommy" Giles Rogers, a album I have looked forward to since I am a huge fan of BTBAM. And even if Rogers does not have a perfect vocal range, I still respect him as a musician and as a song writer.

The fans of BTBAM should recognize the music in "Modern Noise" since it has clear similarities with the band. The only thing that makes Thomas's solo work any different from his work in BTBAM is the lack of metal. There is no growling, no complex rhythms and no pure metal sound in "Modern Noise. Instead, it is the more jazz influented side of BTBAM that is present in this album, which really does not surprise me. I think it is nice that Thomas expands this side of the band since it is only a small part of their overall sound.

But just because there are more jazz influences in here, it does not mean that it is a jazz album. "Modern Noise" is more of a heavier, progressive indie rock album that may not speak to some of the BTBAM fans, while others might enjoy it. Besides fom the weirdly named "Lkcvjvhljbvj≥˜∆˚nnnjmkjijm", there is no track that really stands out as a strong piece. Most of the material here are decent and enjoyable, but there is nothing groundbreaking nor overly impressive. It is just solid music.

A few songs do catch my interest a little better than others. "Siphon The Bad Blood" has a solid beat and some great guitar work. It is without a doubt the catchiest song in the album. The best chorus goes to the one in "M3", a groovy, fast paced song where Thomas is on his toes with his voice. And for the the true BTBAM fans I would recommend "I Appear Disappear" and the title track with their interesting structure and space like feel. Two songs with some slight modification would have been a good fit as a bonus track in "The Parallax II: Future Sequence".

As a huge Between The Buried And Me fan, it is a relief that I find Tommy Giles Rogers's new solo album to be enjoyable. Sure, I am not a fan of jazz or fusion and I do miss some heaviness in the music, but Thomas has put in so much effort in this album that it becomes hard to not commend his work and devotion. The music is enjoyable and has enough references from his main band to make the fans pleased. A good solo album that unfortunately is not anywhere close to the quality his band has put out the last couple of years.

Songs worthy of recognition: M3, Siphon The Bad Blood, I Appear Disappear

Rating: 7/10 Blueberry Queens