This British indie-rock band has been formed as The Sound Explosion in 2003. Soon after that they changed their name into The Sound Ex and released two EPs in 2004. In 2005 they recorded and released their debut album themselves, which resulted in a record deal with Demolition Records. On this label they released their second album Palomino at the end of 2008.

Some people might think this band is not Metalrage worthy, because the music The Sound Ex is playing is pretty radio friendly indie-rock. In fact I think with the right PR and marketing, this band could easily get airplay on mainstream radio. I surely can tell you that this is no punishment! This is way better than the usual crap they play on mainstream radio.

This band actually took me by surprise, with their catchy but poppy indie/garage-rock sound. Their influences are very diverse, from raw, punky garage-rock, till soul/blues and pop music. It’s preformed in such a catchy and poppy way, that this band can easily reach a wide audience. Think of a mix between Foo Fighters, Editors and Led Zeppelin, drenched in a heavy pop/soul sauce. Sometimes I even hear the Beatles in their sound. It tastes like hard candy, with a sweet filling.

Highlight of this album is the opening song ‘Enchantment’. This is the most up-tempo rocker on the album, but it has such a good melody in it that it makes you swing in a second! Another awesome song is ‘KIMB’ which opens as a moody blues song, to slowly become a noisy garage pop song.

If you have an open mind and you are willing to lay down your metal records for once, then this is an album to check out. I really enjoyed this record and I’m looking forward to hear this band on mainstream radio, instead of the new Britney Spears!