The first time I heard of Socratic was probably on a Drive-Thru Comp. Possibly the same one that i mentioned in the Hellogoodbye Write up. The song was I Am The Doctor. I thought it was different and I enjoyed it enough but I wasn’t sold on the band. A few months later however I heard the song Lunch For the Sky on a comp and my desire to learn more about this band increased ten-fold.
Ben Folds once described Ben Folds Five as Punk Rock for Wimps. I think that’s an accurate description for them, I’d say in the same vein Socratic is Punk Rock for Intellectuals. Socratic writes songs that sound like they could belong in books. They also pick fights with other genres in a nerdy kind of away. Let’s take a look at the first song (with lyrics anyway) Alexandria as our Lens where he calls out Screamo and Hardcore with the lyrics “Hey All you screamo/What’s the deal/When any talent you lack/Is covered up by the fact/that you can scream really loud?”
Duane F Okun (guitarist/Vocalist) has singing style that’s very similar to Ace Enders of Early November. The group using piano heavy sounds throughout but unlike some bands that incorporate piano, it never sounds gimmicky. The Piano is the star of the show, but it also fits the music. It’s obvious Socratic was going out to create punk music equal to the epic rock operas you’d heard on FM radio in the 70’s. It’s because of this the album is so catchy. Songs like Tear a Gash and I Am The Doctor are all about melody.
However the standout track to me is still the title track. Duane’s lyrics and melody mixed with a PERFECT usage of back-up vocals created a song that just feels inspiration. What does it mean when they sing “All We Are Is Lunch for the Sky”? I have no clue but damn it if when I hear it I think “Yes, Yes We Are”.
Every song should be a hit sing-along song but sadly Drive-Thru Records didn’t give the band the push they deserved. Luckily the band is still alive and kicking so check them out and go see them on tour sometime.
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Matt Kelly can also be found hosting The Saint Mort Show, Co-hosting the Reddit Horror Club Podcast, Writing for Geekscape,Tweeting and running Dollar Monday Promotions.
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