Leaving Through the Window

Over the years, Orange County, CA (the suburban county that is south of Los Angeles and north of San Diego), has often been the butt of jokes among L.A. residents -- the Beverly Hills/Santa Monica/West Hollywood crowd has been known to call Orange County "Behind the Orange Curtain" (sort of like Manhattan residents having a laugh at New Jersey's expense). But all those "Orange Curtain" jokes don't erase the fact that Orange County has, in the alternative rock era, given the world some impressive bands (which have ranged from No Doubt to Nice to Under the Starry Sky). Another noteworthy Orange County act is Something Corporate, which brings strong power pop instincts to their first full-length album, Leaving Through the Window. These Southern Californians favor a style of post-grunge alternative pop/rock that is punky yet vulnerable and introspective, but Something Corporate isn't just another emocore band in the blink-182/Fenix TX/A New Found Glory/Sloppy Meateaters vein. Truth be told, Something Corporate has more in common with Jimmy Eat World. But the band also claims Billy Joel and Elton John as influences, and anyone who gives Leaving Through the Window a really close listen will have a hard time arguing with that. Something Corporate has enough of a punky, bratty element to appeal to punk-pop and emo tastes, but they also have a strong love of melody and a sense of craftsmanship that probably was -- as lead singer/pianist Andrew McMahon insists -- influenced to some degree by singer/songwriters like Billy Joel and Elton John. At times, the band's power pop instincts also bring to mind Cheap Trick, although Something Corporate's lyrics are much more introspective and melancholy. But whomever one chooses to compare Something Corporate to, Leaving Through the Window is among the more memorable and promising alterna-rock efforts of 2002.