Serene takes flight with album opener A Fallen Angel only gently breathing its wispy breath on the listener's ears; the two-minute track is just enough of a glimpse of their sound to pull you into the next twelve tracks. "A Fallen Angel" glides right into Beggars Of The Sea , taking up the same driving instrumentation and far-away vocals. They're sort of like a toned-down version of The Get Up Kids meet Alkaline Trio, but Serene also manages to inlay the epic-feeling swarms of Coldplay's songs. Their indie pop style may even be a little more laid-back than all of these, and to be quite honest, quite serene.

That's probably largely due to main man Ryan Beatty's musical history. The then-youngster Beatty began writing songs as a teenager, and after schmoozing with some important people at the 2001 SXSW, he was offered a studio to bring his songs to life. With the help of some musically in-tune pals, Beatty put some of his deepest teenage thoughts through the speakers and on out to fans in the same spiritual and realistic inner conflict. And they really are deep, with titles like Sir Tumnus (if you know anything about C.S. Lewis and his roots, you know they're spiritually coated) and a lot of angelic references. Tied in with myths and fables, it's easy to see that Serene is open to all walks of life and the afterlife, and provides quite the soundtrack for either.

Recommended Tracks:
Beggars Of The Sea
Last Words Of A Fallen Angel