By: Peter Gaston

New Jersey gets a bad rap for being one big, dull suburb: The northern half supposedly relies on a lifeline to the Big Apple, while the southern half feeds off Philly. But many Jersey boys and girls are scouring the Internet for sonic knowledge and refocusing their strip mall boredom into rock'n'roll, like the five guys in Paulson. But unlike many peers, Paulson is absolutely ready to shake off the pop-punk and screamo duds they once sported in favor of a slicker, more distilled brand of emotive rock on their sophomore album, All at Once.

The tone is set by the opener, "Voids." Logan Laflotte laments the missing ingredients in his life as pensive guitar lines twinkle delicately over staccato drum fills until a clever, abrupt rhythmic shift sends the song spinning off into a dancey, skinny tie finale. In fact, Paulson's softer side often yields the strongest results: On "Window Frames," twitchy snare bursts and a sneaky, throbbing bassline underpin a stirring bridge where Laflotte mutters, "Your lips are too sweet / They left me with cavities." "Not by a Long Shot" is even more saccharine, with sappy piano flourishes that might test the patience of fans holding on to Paulson's heavier salad days.

Paulson have a few tour dates remaining in 2005 before taking their turnpike exit home:

12/9, Nashville, TN (Rocketown)
12/10, Memphis, TN (Skatepark of Memphis)
12/11, Baton Rouge, LA (The Darkroom)
12/13, Lewisville, TX (Fat Daddy's)
12/14, Abilene, TX (TBA)
12/15, Lubbock, TX (Space 1110)
12/16, Midland, TX (Red Stone Cafe)
12/17, Wichita Falls, TX (The Brickhouse)

Paulson official site