The emo-screamo boys of Hawthorne Heights are back with their sophomore album If Only You Were Lonely. This record is jam-packed with catchier-than-average metal driven sounds of a bunch of teens from Dayton, Ohio struggling to express their emotions to the world.

Their debut album, The Silence in Black and White, went gold with its punky guitar riffs
combined with mixed scream-melodic vocals. All in all, The Silence in Black and White was an expressive record that captured the hearts of every teenager in tight girl's jeans with shaggy black hair in their eyes.

If Only You Were Lonely returns with the same sounds of sorry and sorrow of the previous album, with heightened dramatic-punk angst and more sophisticated musical elements.

Lead singer J.T. Woodruff fills out the tracks with his little-boy murmurs and classic emo yowls, singing mournfully of heartbreak and trying to hold onto the past. At times throughout the album these outbursts of angsty screams resemble nothing more than retching, but overall they add to and enhance the dramatic feel of the album. The screams are the defining factor in what makes Hawthorne Heights "emo", and the album would be lacking without them.

However, this album is best when driven by its music rather than the singer's occasional bout of acid-reflux.

The songs on this album take musical risks and produce excellent results. The metal pop-punk chords combined with shimmery soft parts drives the busy album well from start to finish. The track "Where Can I Stab Myself In the Ears" is a dramatic, dark song with heavy power chords and a wrenching call-and-respond chorus. The last track, the piano and rock ballad "Decembers" is a refreshing break from the album's desperate emo calls to understand teenage angst. The absence of Woodruff's trademark screams reveals his vocal diversity and sets the lonely tone of this powerful, albeit sappy song.

Overall, If Only You Were Lonely is a decent enough emo album which flows effectively from headphones to heart. These Ohio rockers belt their feelings, connecting to the teens who listen to them, and accomplishing what they set out to do--make themselves heard.

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