All things considered, creating a fantastic pop-rock record is entirely more challenging than many assume. In recent months, the genre has undergone a renaissance of sorts. This “resurgence” has been fostered by a general refocus on what makes good music: stellar musicianship, sophisticated yet relatable lyrics and clean production. As bands such as Every Avenue, Go Radio, and This Love have released superb pop-rock records, Las Vegas duo The Cab toiled away at their hotly anticipated sophomore record, Symphony Soldier.

Symphony Soldier is a frustrating listen. The irresistibility of singer Alexander DeLeon’s R&B-esque vocals, which reminds one of Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, cannot be denied (and oh, that falsetto of DeLeon’s is like a hot knife through butter). Symphony Soldier’s first single, “Bad,” has enough Top 40 crossover appeal to leave Maroon 5 in a coma, while the dramatic, string-filled “Lovesick Fool” is dying to be played all over MTV. DeLeon certainly is the star, and throughout Symphony Soldier, he shows off his propensity to be a pop-idol. Yet, what is most impressive about the record is The Cab’s vastly improved musicianship from their 2008 debut, Whisper War. Guitarist Alex Marshall shines on jazzy, disco number “Intoxicated,” and the dense, angry “Another Me” exemplifies a diversity of sound many did not believe The Cab were capable of. There seems to be a concerted effort on the group’s part to refocus on the musicianship and arrangement of each and every song—surely producer John Feldmann played a crucial role in this. Symphony Soldier, musically, is vastly superior to Whisper War.

Yet for all the wonderful musicianship, sophisticated arrangements, and outstanding vocals, Symphony Soldier is dragged down significantly by its lyrics. The album’s lyrical content falls somewhere between a teenage boy’s Xanga entries and a personal exposé that should have never seen the light of day. The cliché-ridden “Her Love Is My Religion” is a painful four-minute excursion that should be taken once and only once. The philosophical folly of “Animal” is all too apparent when DeLeon croons, “Baby girl, I’m not quite human // but I’m not quite a machine // So I guess that leaves you staring at something somewhere in between.” The rest of the track is even more painful. “Come feel my heart // It’s beating like a drum // And I confess, when you’re around // Its like an army’s marching through my chest,” does not need any context for one to grasp the misstep that is “La La.” The Jonas Brothers would be proud, however. Listen, no one is expecting The Cab to pen prose worthy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s attention, but some semblance of poetic aptitude would have been nice.

All things considered, Symphony Soldier will be the mainstream success the group is yearning for. While many have crowned the record the magnum opus of The Cab’s promising, young career, the lyrical stupidities (and there are many) will never garner them this listener’s stamp of recommendation. “No one lives forever // But we will be remembered // for what we do right now,” DeLeon sings on the album’s closer “Living Louder.” Hopefully The Cab will be known for the four or five wonderful pop numbers present on Symphony Soldier versus the filler that litters the rest of the record.

★★.5/★★★★★