With their 2005 debut Controversy Loves Company, The Audition announced their arrival to the pop-punk foray with 10 nearly flawless tracks of danceable rock induced with a healthy amount of hooks. Needless to say the Chicago-natives were facing high expectations with their second effort, Champion. Thankfully for them, and us, they hit the mark, making this release more diverse and distancing themselves from the horde of other bands attempting to mimic the same sound. Not only did they only improve on the couple gripes I had with Controversy, but musically Champion completely leaves their debut album in the dust. They have broken the mold of another poppy rock band for the teeny girls with 10 songs fueled by a sensual vibe not unlike Maroon 5. The quintet borrows from a myriad of genres ranging from radio ready dance rock (“Hell to Sell”), giddy-up cowboy twang (“Have Gun, Will Travel”), to the Copeland-esque slow jam “What Gets You through the Night.” Vocalist Danny Stevens also ensures the group keeps movin’ on up by stepping up the vocal rhythms this time around. If you were a fan of Controversy, I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be watering at the mouth to get your hands on this one; it maintains all the sugar-coated pop-rock goodness of their debut while upping the ante a little and killing all sense of redundancy. While Controversy Loves Company was an attention-grabbing debut, Champion is a hit-maker for the band; it rocks harder, dances better, and catches you faster.
