Schaeffer Something Worth Fighting For
(Self-released)
Something Worth Fighting For is the sophomore album from Detroit band of brothers Schaeffer, and they're looking to fill the gaping void in music left by, er, The Fray. And Snow Patrol. A collection of songs which ostensibly tell the story of a couple who have a car crash, their recovery and the toll it takes on their relationship, the album's chief impact is to demonstrate how a somewhat interesting concept can be rendered null by insipid songwriting and over-earnest pretensions.
The album is produced in a clean enough, sterile enough way to make it sound like the band are destined for 7pm V festival slots, and the vocals are on-key throughout. But the band fail ultimately because of a lack of imagination and a lack of musical ideas to drive their music forwards. Lyrically, the songs are dull as ditchwater, engaging in Radio 2-friendly "emotion" with lines like "We could find something bigger than what’s in both our eyes, and we’ll fly farther than we ever could realize", from opener Promise Me. The album continues in this manner throughout - each time Schaeffer seem like they are about to do something interesting and imaginative, they fall back on lazy and clichéd, sub-Matchbox 20 "soaring" choruses and "heartfelt" ballads. The effect of all of this is that the music passes through the ears without leaving anything much of a mark or an imprint; oh, Schaeffer is playing. Oh, Schaeffer has finished playing. What's next?
Somewhere, Gary Lightbody will be listening to this album with a smile on his face.