Catch a ride with The Cab

When he’s not busy getting Ashlee Simpson pregnant or playing bass in Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz finds time to add new acts to his label, Decaydance. And he’s done a pretty damn good job of it. Three of the biggest breakout stars in the emo-pop scene - Panic At The Disco, Gym Class Heroes and Cobra Starship - are all Wentz disciples. His newest find, Las Vegas’ The Cab, are primed to be the biggest of them all with their debut, Whisper War.

Unlike their labelmates who claim to be something more than just pop music, The Cab fully embrace their slickly produced sound. Whisper War is chock-full of soaring, sugar-rush choruses that may be so sweet they’ll rot your teeth, but they definitely won’t leave your head for days.

Vocalist Alex Deleon is the star of the show due to his high-pitched croon matching perfectly with the band’s sound. Deleon sounds a lot like former *NSYNC boybander J.C. Chasez, and a lot of the tracks seem like those that Chasez should have made.

The re-recorded version of the song that got The Cab signed, “I’ll Run,” still stands out just as it did while getting over 600,000 plays on MySpace. The rest of the band does their best to catch your attention, especially pianist Alex Marshall, but Deleon’s voice overpowers it all as he sings about reinvigorating love.

“Risky Business” presents the band at their best, with a more soulful and sexy sound than you’d expect from a band in the scene. The lyrics aren’t anything special, but Deleon’s great vocal runs while he sings “Baby you should put your heart where your mouth is / Stop asking and keep dancing” gloss over it all.

Whisper War was released at the perfect time: It’s meant to be listened to with the windows down on a sunny day. Although the latter half of the album isn’t as impressive as the first, The Cab may have pioneered a new sub-genre: boyband emo.