Local Review: The Signal Sound — Rewrite It All

The Signal Sound
Rewrite It All
Self-Released
Street: 02.21.2025
The Signal Sound = Customer Service + Meowning

Featuring an intro track with an audio clip from the beloved, archetypal buddy-comedy Wayne’s World 2, Salt Lake four-piece The Signal Sound immediately presents themselves as loud, moody and as a classic paradigm of ’00s pop-punk core.

With Mike Fralick on vocals and guitar, Randal Topper on drums, Merrill Tingey on guitar and Alex Romero on bass, The Signal Sound creates an energetic tincture of punk, rock and emo guitar riffs paired alongside rasped yet powerful vocals on their third record, Rewrite It All. “Gordon St” sets the tone of the album as one of escapism with stereotypical — though welcome — mentions of running away to the Pacific Northwest, Death Cab for Cutie tees and aching for the ocean. At five minutes long, “Gordon St” weaves you through heavy beats and howling guitar hooks — then, a softer bridge expertly layers harmonies and acoustic sounds before throwing you back to its final, yowling chorus.

“Punk Jam” continues the album’s theme of pop-punk revivalism, this time a bit more playful with a youthful energy that shouts “Fuck you, mom” and “I’ve always hated this town.” Chaotic drums drive the tempo here, and while I don’t quite enjoy this one as much as the nostalgic cadence of “Gordon St,” I still appreciate how restless and controlled the instrumentals are and the message and rowdiness of the screaming vocals.While the next track “Truth For You To Find” continues the album’s likeness to Mayday Parade’s “Jamie All Over” with mentions of California suns and crashing waves, the tone here is much more somber. Softer melodies and hopes of wanting to stop time and freeze the moment float along the interlude as Fralick sings, “There’s magic in the ocean / There’s truth for you to find.” A spoken audio cut of a toddler and parent saying “I love you” punctuate the middle of the song, helping the central message of hoping to find home and let peace take root. The instrumentals continue to match pace with Fralick as he now pleads and bellows the repeated lyrics of finding truth and beauty in the world. Though it’s not as blatantly punk as the prior tracks, one could argue that you can still be punk rock while shedding a tear to your child playing in the ocean.

We continue with the flip-flop of high-tempo, guitar-laden rock to subdued acoustics with “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “Something In The Water” and “The Feeling.” Second-to-last track “Another” features local singer-songwriter LINDZ, and the duality of having both female and male vocals place the track back in its ’00s influence akin to the sound of A Day To Remember’s “If It Means a Lot to You” featuring Sierra Kay. While I think Fralick’s vocal prowess can hold its own, LINDZ adds a complementary element that romanticizes the track’s tone of lost dreams and broken relationships. The guitar riffs, consistent bass lines and drums continue to carry the tracklist, and I appreciate the moments where the band can show off their moody, power-driven energy, as is the case in the last 30 seconds of “Another.”

Title track “Rewrite It All” differs the most with its electric vocal fry and mellower, synthetic beat and sound. The song is also the second shortest on the album at two minutes and 54 seconds, and in the time it took to get used to the dynamic sound change, the song was almost reaching its end. I wouldn’t say it was dissatisfying, but I wish the instrumental portions were longer to allow listeners to settle into its unfamiliarity and really appreciate its overall impact as the album’s closer.

The Signal Sound’s Rewrite It All is a welcomed addition to the local vault of Salt Lake’s punk rock expressions. While listeners will enjoy the typical yet balanced sounds of feeling ungoverned, running away and yearning for those salty West Coast oceans, the album really stands out thanks to Fralick’s range and Topper, Tingey and Romero’s expertise and technicality, maintaining punchy guitar riffs and bold drum beats. Check out their Instagram @thesignalsound or find them on streaming services. —Jamie Christensen

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