Boy, was I prepared to hate this album. The fact it’s targeted at fans of blink-182 was the first thing to set me against it. The oh-so-ironic title didn’t help either.

Except Symphony Of Voices isn’t so ironically-named after all. The three vocalists Ash, on lead vocals and guitar, guitarist/support singer Jay, and Charlie on bass and backing vocals combine perfectly, backed by the rock-steady beats of drummer Reed Guff. Something which may or may not be attributed to the production team of Goldfinger’s Charlie Paulson and Noah Shain who has worked with Orson.

Veterans of 700+shows, Guff have been making lots of noise from their Athens, Georgia base since forming in 1999. Boasting a solid rather than spectacular sound, tracks on Symphony of Voices don’t so much stand out as unite into one pounding number. With the exception of power ballad ‘I Can See it In Your Eyes’.

That song isn’t even a Guff original. The story goes that while Guff were in the studio, Steve Perry of Journey fame, walked in to visit a friend. So impressed by what he heard, Perry returned two days later and asked Guff to cover an unreleased Journey track which he sang on and went on to produce.

Having supported the likes of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Sum 41, the time is ripe for Guff to step out from the shadows of others. Their new poppier over punkier direction will help. As will, in its own strange way, the patronage of Perry, no doubt.

(3½/5)