Album: Dressed Up As Life
Artist: Sick Puppies
Website: Official Site & MySpace

How often do you come across a song that makes you think, "Wow, I know what they're going through," or "I've been there"? Sick Puppies's new album, Dressed Up As Life, takes that a step further. Instead of just one song, picture a whole album loaded with raw, provocative poignancy.

Based in Sydney, Australia, Sick Puppies is comprised of Shimon Moore (vocals, guitar), Emma Anzai (bass) and Mark Goodwin (drums). With Dressed Up As Life, this band breaks into deep emotional territory. It is no wonder why they won Yahoo's Who's Next Competition.

The band was inspired to film "All the Same" by the creator of the Free Hugs Campaign, Juan Mann. Mann went malls every Thursday and held up a sign reading "Free Hugs".

Intrigued by Mann's story, Moore asked if he could film him as held his sign. After arriving in the U.S., Moore edited the footage of Mann holding his sign, along with their song "All the Same". Mann enjoyed it so much that he suggested they put it on Youtube.com .

Ultimately, the video earned Sick Puppies exposure on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Jay Leno, 60 Minutes and CNN. The publicity has inspired people around the world to begin their own Free Hugs campaign. It also made "All the Same" a top-requested single at commercial radio stations across North America.

The album's opening track, "My World", takes on life's lessons of getting over the never-ending hamster wheel of existence. With lryics like "So here I am again in the middle of the end/ The choice I wish I'd made I always make too late!", this song tells of slowly learning along the way and becoming both a smarter and stronger person. Simultaneously, the song deals with the frustration and exhaustion from what happens in life.

Next in line is the ultra-pessimistic "Pitiful", a song that illustrates contemplating suicide. Moore vents aggressively with lyrics like "Gimme one good reason why I shouldn't end it all/ If there's a reason then I haven't found it yet/ And I tried every drug I find/ Except maybe heroin and cyanide". This song displays a worst-case scenario of malaise, projecting a glimpse of hope and reservation from doing the unthinkable.

The compassionate "All the Same" is a compelling reminder that we all are flawed in some way, yet we are accepted and loved just the same. This song is poignant and endearing - even without the touching video.

Dressed Up As Life is summed up best on the band's website as "the kind of record that captures the beauty, pain and endless possibilities of life." With dynamic guitar riffs, provocative lyrics and gripping tunes from start to finish, Dressed Up As Life is a refreshing album. Like a free hug, it is an intimate exchange of emotion and the human condition.

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