FIRST PLACE REVIEW
Joya Cooley, Dutch Fork HS (Irmo, S.C.)

The Academy Is... Almost Here

In today’s musical world, emotions are usually expressed with boring 11-minute guitar solos, monotonous double bass drum, and the ever-prevalent screaming melodies. To bottom-line it, everything is the same. For The Academy Is…, the emotion in their lyrics is backed by dueling guitars , reverberating bass lines and a voice as sweet as honey delivering the most hateful things you could ever hear, although album doesn’t fit any one genre, as it combines influences from folk, pop, emo and good ol’ rock and roll.

The album begins with front man and lyricist William Beckett pleading the listener to pay attention with “Attention, attention/May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room if only for one second?” continuing into the poppy songs “Season” and “Slow Down.” After “The Phrase That Pays” trudges in with minor chords and heavy lyrics, it is followed by the hateful “Black Mamba” stating that Beckett’s target should “Take a long walk off of the shortest pier you can find.” The abhorrence continues all the way up to “Checkmarks,” a fast tune written about Beckett’s revulsion for the other party in a one-night-stand gone wrong. The title track, “Almost Here” is a perfect last song, being the band’s ‘anthem’ and ending the CD with “Our time is almost here.”

In exactly one year to this day, The Academy Is… has sold more than 100,000 copies of their debut, and not surprisingly seeing as it is one of my favorite albums that I’ve ever heard. The band also doesn’t rely on studio technology and auto-tuners to beef up the sound of their album. I’ve had the chance to see them twice, and both times every bit has sounded as incredible, if not more so, than the album itself. This is definitely not one you should leave sitting on the Best Buy shelf.

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SECOND PLACE REVIEW
Jill Shea, Freedom HS (Tampa, Fla.)

The Black Keys

The last blues tune played on six strings of a guitar need not designate itself to a front porch, rickety rocking chair or the Southern regions of a country. In fact, it can say that it has made its way across the Northern Americas via the Black Keys latest release: Rubber Factory.

The Black Keys, composed of two enthusiastic young male musicians from Akron, Ohio has brought the blues genre back into the spotligjt for listeners of all ages. Both members prove that their passion for rhythm reaches their own fingertips and escapes, touching each listener directly. Patrick Carney's drum set becomes completely inanimate as he wails endlessly from symbol to snare to bass. His rhythms prove finesse and skill, but are accompanied by absolute harshness. The desire and emotion that goes into blues is seen by his keenness in expediting this task. Singer and guitarist, Dan Auerbach, coast Carney's brutality with his honey-enriched vocals. His voice has a strength and comfort that pours on each of the 13 tracks recorded on Rubber Factory.

It goes without saying that the guys are capable of performing quality music on any disc they produce, but their sounds and enormous effort for public attention is unique to this latest and most popular release. This is most easily realized in their untouchable lyrical content and their variation for technique. What is initially perceived in songs one through six as an eagerly paced, and inspiring melody manages to tranquilize itself on their seventh track, "The Lengths," a ballad that identifies with the unattached, the lovesick and the mournful.

This disc offers an extended laundry list of wonderment for all listeners. Each riff, each wail, each line is carefully composed for the soul to lean on and enjoy. It would be my pleasure to see your soul take a rest with The Black Keys masterpiece: Rubber Factory.

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THIRD PLACE REVIEW
Sean Gruber, Dorchester Academy (St. George, S.C.)

"God Exists, and He's American."
Watchman proves that comics aren't just for kids anymore

I'm literally hanging on the edge of my seat as I consider the possibilities. I never could have imagined this many layers of depth in something that is generally considered childish: A comic book.

Yet, Watchmen by Alan Moore, does all this and so much more.

Set in a decaying 1980's America, Watchmen tells of a society that has been fundamentally changed by super heroes. America has won the Vietnam War, has gained an edge over the Soviet Union Nuclear Weapons Program. Technology has skyrocketed into the future, leading to the creating of electric cars, airships and great leaps in quantum physics. The world is more advanced then ever before.

But society is still decaying.

In this dystopian world, the story centers on Rorschach, costumed vigilante that still fights crime, even after all non-government super heroes are disallowed from continuing their profession. When he discovers that The Comedian, a costumed mercenary that fought along side Rorschach in the past, was murdered, he begins a quest to find the "mask killer." As he digs deeper into the underworld of the city, he finds that there is an even greater conspiracy involved, one that might change his world forever.

Even though this plot seems complex enough, I am still shocked at the number of sub plots, motifs, references and themes contained within its pages. Every time I pick up and read this "graphic novel;" again I find a new idea or references that entertains my thoughts or days. These subplots range from a boy reading a comic book that strangely parallels the world he is living in, to America's very history being changed, such as the Watergate conspiracy never happening and Richard Nixon getting reelected for another term. The level of depth in this book is just simply amazing.

So, if your an adult reader that never really left your comic book stage, or looking to read your first graphic novel, Watchmen is the best place to start.

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Review Writing Winners 2006

First Place
Joya Cooley
Dutch Fork HS
Irmo, S.C.

Second Place
Jill Shea
Freedom HS
Tampa, Fla.

Third Place
Sean Gruber
Dorchester Academy
St. George, S.C.