The Observatory

Description

The Observatory is the sophomore album by the American pop-punk band Cadet, released on BEC Recordings in 2002, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. The album was produced by Christopher Stevens.

Featuring Ryan Smith on guitar and lead vocals, Matt Lenhart on guitar, keyboard, and background vocals, Jason Kennedy on bass and background vocals, and Chad Basom on drums and background vocals.

Any attentive Cross Rhythms radio listener will already know the piece de resistance of this tremendous album, the attention-grabbing opener «Nobody» which blends its elements, an acoustic guitar strum, a wistful lead vocal and howling, hard guitars, to produce a perfect, radio-friendly concoction. But there are plenty of other gems here. Take the mid tempo plea for God’s transforming touch, «Change My Name». Lead singer Ryan Smith’s vocal – a little like the Jars’ Dan Haseltine – emits a tremulous poignancy as the angry guitars roar around him, or the jangling teenage romance song «Call Me». Overall, ‘The Observatory’ (which has been out almost a year incidentally) is a big improvement on Cadet’s self-titled debut and though there are still strong retro beat group elements, hardening up the guitar sound makes a far more cohesive album for today’s youth. Classy pop rock with exceedingly tuneful hooks. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, September 2003]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-observatory/724558374)

CD-tracklist:

01. Nobody
02. Blame
03. Change My Name
04. Call Me
05. Today
06. High Tide
07. Stuck In A Song
08. Two Stars
09. Cry To You
10. Come Alive
11.1 Wishing Well
11.2 High Tide Remix