Crossfade is an American rock band that finally coalesced in 2001 after a few name changes consisting of The Nothing and Sugardaddy Superstar. Crossfade is home to founders Ed Sloan, Mitch James, and later permanent member Les Hall. As well as a few others that’ve cycled through throughout the years.

Their first album, self-titled Crossfade, depicts a man struggling to find himself and sounds like a series of understandings the singer has, with the typical relationship sentiment burned in here and there with Cold and Colors. The second album descends slightly in value, onto largely the topic of a selfish or cold lover.

Those two songs don’t show off the capacity of the singer or the band nearly as well as the rest of the album does. They feel simpler and almost corporate, as though the contract they signed said they had to have two generic songs to endlessly repeat. Though, that’s no jab to the song’s success; if they weren’t considered good they wouldn’t have been so popular, obviously.

The rest of the album takes on this darker sensation and feel. Angsty, irritated guitars, backing the powerful vocals that’re speaking of trying to be more and not settling for less than what you wanted to achieve. It’s enthralling. And in the tone that they present, it doesn’t make it feel corny or manufactured. I’m not sure how often, but I’ve noticed when songs try to be inspiring or the like, that it’s difficult to feel their struggle. It doesn’t feel like the bad is what sculpted the good, it comes off more like ‘everything is awesome and life used to suck, but now it’s great.’ It’s all preference at the end of the day, but for my tastes I enjoy being taken on a bit of a Hero’s Journey.

That’s not to say there isn’t any presence of mechanicalness, it’s there and probably thanks to producer Randy Staub, who’s helped the likes of Nickelback, Evanescence, and a bunch of the other notable bands from that time.

Crossfade’s second album, Falling Away, is less original than the first and details the relationship between the singer and his ex-girlfriend. She didn’t want to believe in him, he got too angry sometimes, she was cold to him, he slowly started losing feeling for her and eventually made the decision to leave. It’s a tale . . . understandably retold but not any less reused. None of the music is bad, and some of it can be as enrapturing as the first album. On some level I do enjoy it more, producers ‘n’ such were less involved so there’s a more personal feeling of individuality to each song. But for me, just the ex-girlfriend thing is kind of boring. None of it clicked like the first one did.

Perhaps they redeemed themselves for their third.