One must wonder how major labels actually choose the bands they sign in 2002, because it seems like you only need three things to make the cut: moody and introspective post-grunge anthems, sludgy power ballads with stereotypically emotive groaning, and an adorable-yet-troubled lead singer backed by skinny white guys.

The Pearl Jam formula is still utilized more than ten years later, and Course of Nature is one of the many to follow in their footsteps with an increasingly watered-down version of their sound.

It isn't that this doesn't have its catchy moments or decent tracks; this is a very poppy act who delivers some strong melodies.

But there is an overall blandness about this sort of music that is hard to overcome, and more often than not this band can't overcome that feel.

The production doesn't help; the meat of the sound is stripped away and the guitars sound flat and devoid of energy.

To be fair to the band, if they were to abandon the alternative approach and punch up their sound, they could really be a great rock band.

They have the material, they just choose to put an unlikable spin on it that hurts the songs.

But they haven't taken that approach, so just understand that this is the same music that countless other mainstream rock acts have been pumping out since the halcyon days of Bush, just with the pop aspect of the sound emphasized.