After their debut album opened at #2 on the charts then rose to #1 in its 9^th week, it was apparent that the men of Daughtry had something special to offer. With the release of their sophomore album Leave This Town, the #1 spot was reserved for their opening week, and rightly so. The band’s full chemistry shines on this album, and is characterized by the consistency in sound and the strong lead voice by frontman Chris Daughtry, which made him a formidable opponent in his stint on American Idol. In many ways, this project echoes their first and while it doesn’t outdo it, the music here is still great, making this album a good selection for fans and followers of the group.

There's a bold energy to be felt on songs like Everytime You Turn Around and What I Meant To Say, and that energy is countered by the sappy vibe of Life After You, one of the album's best offerings. I’d give Open Up Your Eyes my choice for favorite song on the album – I’m a sucker for somber rock songs with big vocals and this song is just that. September is a great song that presents a more mellow side, but Tennessee Line really shows the versatility of the group, exchanging the heavy rock sound for a softly strummed country vibe. This change in sound brings forth the purity of Chris Daughtry’s voice making this a favorite as well. Aside from the lead single (No Surprise) and the aforementioned tracks, the rest of the album didn’t really stick out as memorable to me.

Leave This Town isn’t the hard rock album some might expect, but it rests on a happy medium between rock and pop, which is a comfortable zone to be in. After the run they had with the first album, it's no surprise this one opened at the top of the charts proving that American Idol does produce some real talent... sometimes anyway.

Sound-Savvy officially rates Leave This Town with 3.5 out of 5 platinum headphones.