I've always wondered what it would sound like if Anberlin, Paramore, and Acceptance had one big musical orgy. Thanks to Search The City's debut album, A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It, I can finally answer that question: It would sound AWESOME.

Let's face it; originality in the music industry is all but dead. Everyone borrows from everyone, and truly unique bands only come along once in a blue moon. Search the City know this, and their music doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. What they do is take the best parts of the indie and alternative scene and meld them together in 10 deliciously intricate and memorable tracks.

The album opens with "Son Of A Gun," and immediately you know this band is doing something right. It's the difference between a pine tree and a Christmas tree - immaculate decoration. The guitars and synthesizers dance up and down with unbridled enthusiasm while vocalist Adam McMillion does his best Stephen Christian impersonation minus the frog in the throat. The harmonizing is uncannily Anberlin-esque, and the production is immaculate - kudos to the guys over at Tooth and Nail on that one.

The most amazing part this album, though, is how tight and distinct Search the City's formula is after only one EP. Most really good bands take an album or two before they hit their stride and really find their sound. A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It skips past all the drudgery of refinement and sees the band playing a perfect blend of melodic alternative rock right at the outset. There's no telling exactly how much of that is owed to groups that came before them (I personally suspect "The Rescue" took some cues from Paramore's "That's What You Get," for example), but none of that matters when the music is this good. Every track on the album shines in structure, variance and execution, all while retaining a common sound and style. They know when to be loud and when to be quiet, when to be fast and when to be slow, and the lyrics strike a great balance between wordiness and catchiness. Honestly, you could put this CD on shuffle all day and never be disappointed with what plays.

All in all, this debut definitely has my vote for the best album of 2008 thus far. Tooth & Nail Records has proven itself more than capable of breaking some top-notch acts over the past few years; I would not be surprised to see Search the City join those ranks in the near-future.

Reviewed by Dan Lifschitz