Hey! Check it out, “Share This” is one of this weeks picks on wearepanel.com! Tyler Hayes of thealbumproject.net is this weeks guest panelist, so Thank you Tyler for helping to share our music with the world! This is what he had to say about the album:

Les Sages is four brothers who share the vocal responsibilities equally enough that no one person is thought of as the lead singer. “Share This” is quite an album for a band that came out of nowhere, only recently signing with Deep Elm Records. The album has a pop/punk flavor, but, gladly, it lacks the poppy-ness that plagues so many other albums of this genre. Rather, “Share This” feels closer to an indie/rock hybrid. Listen to “Nomads.” This is a good example of how most of the tracks employ controlled passion, explosive without going into too-grand territory.

Source: http://wearepanel.com/2010/12/17/interview-tyler-hayes-of-the-album-project/?picks

Thanks again Tyler.

Alicia Inman over at therecordrebellion.com very graciously included us in her list of “Top 10 Albums of 2010″. Thanks Alicia! Here’s what she had to say:

I found myself gravitating toward music with heavy messages this year, and Share This is one of the most lyrically intense albums on my list. Share This explores the concepts of life, death, love, loss, and friendship against a backdrop of emotive rock music. Though melancholy at times, the vocals invite you to sing your lungs out and the riffing guitars and pummeling drums will make you want to headbang hard.

Source: http://www.therecordrebellion.com/2010/12/08/alicias-top-10-albums-of-2010/

Kate over at Our Stage’s blog reviewed “Share This”:

Les Sages is a band of four brothers, which makes them even more genetically formidable than Tennessee’s Kings of Leon. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, the group is comprised of Joe, Andrew, Peter and Kris Larson, all of whom share vocal duties with uncanny likeness. Currently signed to Deep Elm Records, Les Sages purveys moody, elegant rock for les misérables. “Tricks” begins with a brooding piano dirge. The melody unfolds slowly and methodically—lumbering through cryptic phrases like “By the time it took me to take my pills, she left me for a spy.” Like watching a psychological thriller, you’re rapt, but on tenterhooks. “Driver of the Hearse” cracks the whip, shaking off the mood with an angular guitar salvo and fitful percussion. Things get more élégant with the spacious ballad, “Mumbled,” where a dusty trumpet note and glistening keys ratchet up the emotion. “Les sages” means “the wise” in French. Be wise, and give these guys a try.

Source: http://www.ourstage.com/blog/2010/9/20/the-four-wise-men

Gregory Robson’s review of “Share This” on AbsolutePunk.com:

Who?
Les Sages is four Canadian brothers each separated by only eighteen months. The band’s drummer is not a sibling but a close friend. The band’s name is pronounced “Lay-Sahj,” and they now reside in Salt Lake City, UT. Share This is their second full-length effort.

How is it?
Fan-freaking-tastic. There’s good reason why Deep Elm has hailed the disc as “one of the most memorable ever released by our label.” Blending sensitivity and tenderness with bitter acid-tongued barbs, Share This is an album that caters to just about everyone. Introspection? Check. Caustic kiss-offs? Check. Ornate harmonies? Check. Spiky guitars? Check. You get the drill. Whatever you want in a disc, this has it. From the mid-tempo movement of album opener “The League War,” to the jittery “Friends,” there’s a certain charisma at work here that just isn’t found these days. Of the album’s first half, the two most memorable compositions are the vindictive and vitriolic “Reinvention,” and the earnest and compassionate “Nomads,” the latter evoking a definitive Death Cab sentiment.

The urgent “Red Lights,” is a call to action, offering up positivity, self-exploration and a rousing movement that should not be played softly. Those of us who’ve spent time in one-horse towns and rural America, will certainly find a kinship with the song’s imploring nature. The feathery valentine “Action,” is the best song Waking Ashland never recorded, while “Rain City,” has a pulsing, rhythmic cadence that only further cements the band as something worth watching. Of the disc’s last two offerings, “Driver of the Hearse,” is a rumbling and look at identity that should not be skipped, while “Tricks,” is a brooding and timeless ballad that documents the collapse of a romance.

There’s a good chance that 2010 might fly by without anyone taking a proper glance at Share This. That the disc came out in late April and is still vastly ignored is proof of that very point. But make no mistake, Share This is as inspired, earnest and as compelling as any disc released so far this year. Remember all the reasons you fell in love Straylight Run, Brand New and Taking Back Sunday, then marry that with all the reasons you fell for Death Cab for Cutie, Lydia and Mae. That’s what listening to Share This is like. So maybe it won’t reach the masses and maybe they won’t play stadiums, but hot damn, if music like this is getting ignored, then the state of music in a far darker place than any of us ever imagined.

Source: http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1841492

A man that goes by the user name “T” reviewed “Share This” on StereoKiller.com:

Salt Lake City’s Les Sages are four brothers with a ton of talent and they are not afraid to show it with their new release, “Share This” off Deep Elm Records. To describe the band’s over all sound is kind of hard to do since they mix elements of ambient/spacey rock with more radio friendly vocal harmonies that would make Taking Back Sunday quake in their boots. Which honestly is a good thing for them since it doesn’t pigeon-hole them into one certain genre, giving them the ability to reach out to fans of multiple musical tastes.

Every track is solid and well-written. And I think “The Soldier’s Mark” is probably one of the best tracks off the record, incorporating soft piano over a spacey background with catchy (almost cliche) sing-along-able lyrics. It has a very strong feel to it that makes you want to hear it over and over.

Vocally, they share the reigns of singing equally so it’s not fair to call just one of them the lead singer. And I think that’s what I like about them the most. You hear the same emotion and passion coming from multiple voices. It makes it more meaningful and heartfelt.

Now granted, this is probably more mainstream sounding than what most people would be comfortable with when it comes to the more traditional Indie/ambient bands or sound. But honestly, this CD is a refreshing listen. I know I’ll be listening to it.

Source: http://www.stereokiller.com/newsreviews/article.cfm?intarticleid=9485

Cole Faulkner’s review of “Share This” on ThePunkSite.com:

I haven’t been terribly impressed by any new additions to the emo genre since Max Bemis’ original breakthrough with Say Anything. Everything else just sort of piggybacks off the same whinny Taking Back Sunday vocals and now predictable content originally pioneered by Sunny Day Real Estate – or worse, bland generic screamo. Emo has been such a stagnant genre in which waiting for the next great innovation has been like waiting for Something Corporate to reform (but hey, even that happened). But, much like Something Corporate’s patient fan base eventually realized, good things come to those who wait. And for emo lovers, that good thing comes in the form of Salt Lake City’s Les Sages.

Already having a few low-key releases under their belt, Les Sages have teamed up with Deep Elm Records for what is easily their best release to date – and arguably the best thing to come out of the emo movement in years. Vocalist Joseph Larson opens the album with a pitch perfect combination of spoken word meets melodic flow that sounds commanding, sincere, and passionate. And despite the album finding Larson continually grappling with emotionally trying topics, he never succumbs to the genre template of breaking down into an incoherent mess. Rather, Larson delivers his lines with a sense of confidence that transcends his angst-driven content.

For that matter, Share This is filled with a rare sophistication, making room for empathy rather than rolled eyes. Lyrics range from personal longings to traumas, and even a tale of a soldier’s first blood. Tracks like “Reinvention” deal with matters of the heart, but transcend their momentary fixations with moral awareness and larger issues. For instance, “Reinvention” may first feel like a frustrated tale of “admiration from afar,” but soon after artfully throws in passages like “start living with who you are/behind that veil is the rarest piece of art,” eventually leading into a discussion of the vulnerability of the human condition. “The Soldier’s Mark” follows suit, and cleverly weaves a tale of a rookie reluctantly staring down his sight to his unsuspecting victim. Larson cries “I cannot wipe from my brain what I saw in his eyes/in the moments I scoped out the shots that would finish his life/my soul died/won’t someone please hit the pause button/now that I’m here.” Moments later he ups the stakes by revealing our protagonists’ young age, instantly calling into question if anything or anyone can be truly innocent. With each passing track the band pushes their limits and challenges their listeners with insights, sad realities, and pressing dilemmas.

The band’s well-planned instrumentation enhances the album’s deep content. In fact, Share This boasts what might be one of the most balanced soundscapes in recent memory. There’s always something happening, but it’s never overpowering. In other words, despite drawing heavily upon a wealth of sounds, including a particularly emotional piano reminiscent to Something Corporate spinoff Jack’s Mannequin, Les Sages’ creates a sense of active seclusion – or a carefully calculated, naturally flowing sense of musicianship akin to quiet post-hardcore heavyweights Brand New, Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine.

I really can’t stress it enough, so I’ll just say it again: Les Sages have created one of the most balanced, accessible, and thoughtful emo releases in quite some time. Share This is ripe with a rare vulnerability of emotion, and boasts some seriously articulate songwriting. Even those typically looking past emo should consider giving Share This a spin.

Source: http://thepunksite.com/reviews.php?page=album/e_n/lessages_sharethis