Gillespie originally made his mark as the singing drummer in the screamo/ post-hardcore unit Underoath. With his natural swagger, though, he's always seemed like a frontman waiting to happen, and the Almost's Southern Weather could establish the multi-instrumentalist as one of the standout talents who's still standing when Christian hardcore fades. Gillespie is joined by Sunny Day Real Estate frontman/emo icon Jeremy Enigk on "Dirty and Left Out," while the addictive "Say the Sooner," a sing-along rave-up with punk momentum, is one of the strongest singles of the year. And Gillespie offers some frank commentary on the scene in the nearly-as-catchy "I Mostly Like to Copy Other People."
"Remember in the early '90s, when Guns N' Roses was a band and Poison was a band, but we didn't know that Nirvana was going to be the new thing?" asks Gillespie. "I feel like [Underoath] has contributed to that state of music now. And I think it's just a possibility that in a few years, people won't remember what's happening now."
But if they do, they'll remember the Almost.
