Reviews

With the breakout success of {$Hawthorne Heights}' 2004 debut, {^The Silence in Black and White}, the little screamo band that could from Dayton, OH, could have easily taken the formulaic approach with its sophomore album. Instead, this rising new {\rock} outfit does everything it can to broaden its scope on {^If Only You Were Lonely}. One need look no further than the hushed, piano-steered closing number, {&"Decembers,"} which echoes both {$the Beach Boys} and {$Death Cab for Cutie}. That somber highlight aside, {$Hawthorne Heights} haven't exactly ditched their calling card, as exhibited by the infectious, self-deprecating heartbreak anthem {&"We Are So Last Year"} and {&"Pens and Needles,"} a bold, capable {\punk-pop} nugget with serious devotional issues. The outfit's three-axe attack coupled with the distinctive pipes of {$J.T. Woodruff} find {$Hawthorne Heights} able to go where peers like {$Fall Out Boy} just can't. Be it the downright winsome lilt of {&"Saying Sorry"} or the riotous {\punk} of {&"This Is Who We Are"} -- painted with blood-curdling screams -- the group manages to walk the fine line between art and its aspirations of world domination with its credibility in check. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide