Shiny Toy Guns — Season Of Poison

Season Of Poison leaves a lot to be desired. After two years, a new female vocalist, commercial success and a Grammy Award nomination, I was expecting something more from this Los Angeles-based electro-rock band. Instead, this sounds like if Crystal Castles and The Academy Is... were thrown into a blender, resulting in a chunky, uneven concoction that looks good but is ultimately unsatisfying. New female singer Sisely Treasure sounds more like she's auditioning to replace original vocalist Carah Faye Charnow. She hasn't earned the part. Her vocals aren't bad in softer songs like "Frozen Oceans," but are agony when paired next to Chad Petree in "When Did This Storm Begin." First single "Ricochet!" and "Ghost Town" have grown on me, but the rest of the album is inconsistent and a disappointingly tough listen. It's hard to believe this is the same band responsible for the insanely addictive "Le Disko." This is definitely nowhere near the Grammy-nominated We Are Pilots.

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