Automatic Loveletter
Truth or Dare
Posted 7/30

Campus Correspondent Review By Laura Cebula,
Belmont University

Truth or Dare (Sony Music Japan) is the official debut album from Automatic Loveletter, headed by vocalist Juliet Simms. The Florida quartet is a classic example of achieving massive popularity over the internet, clocking in at 10 million listens on MySpace when they were signed and nearly 100,000 friends on the site today.

The band sounds like it could be heard on The Disney Channel between the likes of Demi Levato and Selena Gomez, but Automatic Loveletter plays among the Warped Tour scene. In the vain of Paramore, Simms’ vocals are powerful, yet sweet, though she squeaks in every song and cannot hit notes in the lower range, such as on the slow, heartfelt “Fade Away.” Simms vocals are almost bearable on the album’s closing song “Back To Life.” It begins slow and progressive before changing towards a harder-rocking song, which is when it begins to turn into an ear-piercing, screechy mess.

In the end, Truth or Dare is an effort at best. The band has a strong fan-base, hinting that it must put on an entertaining live show. The songs are not strong enough lyrically or musically to stand alone and Simms’ vocals bring them down even further. Even so, there is some appeal. Perhaps it’s the innocence of the songs or the honest attempt at making a powerful record, though Automatic Loveletter’s follow-up album will have to tell.