Howie Day began his career as an experimental songwriter, using loop pedals and digital effects to turn his guitar into a lush, layered instrument. Even when the material wasn’t top-notch, his solo shows frequently were, and Day sharpened his act by canvassing the college circuit for years. Following his signing to Epic Records, he streamlined his approach, taking the spotlight away from his acoustic guitar and focusing instead on smooth, massively orchestrated pop/rock — and 2003′sStop All the World Now went gold as a result. Sound the Alarm follows in those steps, featuring 11 songs that brim with studio polish and mega-sized hooks. Tracks were composed with a handful of collaborators in L.A., New York, London, Minneapolis, and Bloomington, and the results are prime radio fodder, even if two of the best numbers here — the piano ballad “Everybody Loves to Love a Lie” and the Verve-influenced “Counting on Me” — are the album’s most unconventional songs. – Andrew Leahey
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