Despite their heavy touring schedule, San Diego-based band Waking Ashland has managed to find a spare moment to create their newest album, The Well. In a time when many bands struggle to maintain their own identity and unique sound amid the monotony of many other pop-rock groups, Waking Ashland is flourishing. According to lead singer and pianist Jonathan Jones, instead of emulating the actual sounds or styles of their musical influences, they focus on integrating the emotion, energy and song-writing skills of these musicians. Waking Ashland formed back in 2003 when Jones and singer/guitarist Ryan Lallier met in college and recorded their first EP, I Am For You. Since then, they have achieved a great amount of success within their genre of independent rock. Although this is their second album, Waking Ashland's real passion is performing. The band has been touring almost nonstop since spring of 2004, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. The only break they have taken from their perpetual on-the-road schedule since then was to record their first album Composure, which was released in 2005. Like many musicians, Waking Ashland has realized the importance of getting their music recognized internationally. In early 2006, with the help of bassist Nathan Harold, the expanded band released Telescopes, a nine-song EP, exclusively in Japan. That album was followed by a Japanese tour where they received an unexpected amount of attention. The band released the U.S. version of Telescopes a few months later. Shortly after, drummer Tim Very joined them, and Waking Ashland became the four-man band it is today. With the new makeup of the group, the band saw an opportunity to move forward in their music careers. During tour breaks, the band members would write songs and then take the next few weeks on the road to test out the songs on the crowds. They continued to do this until they had formed what they believed to be a solid set. Then they got in the studio with Chris Shaw who has worked with artists like Bob Dylan and Death Cab for Cutie. Something that separates The Well from their other productions is that all members of the band contributed to the writing of the songs. This not only provides listeners with more variety in lyrics and tone, but also supplied the individuals with some healthy competition while writing, because everyone wanted to be as good as the others. The album has an eclectic blend of songs. It kicks off to an impressive beginning with "Salt Lake Jam," which begins with Jones jamming on the piano and segues nicely into an edgy piece with a lot of instrumentals and catchy lyrics. The track highlights a strength present throughout the entire album — the group's ability to incorporate many different instruments with none of them overpowering the others. Each musician has his time to shine in different songs, and that really proves to listeners that they are conscious of the quality of the music they are producing. Another thing the guys of Waking Ashland excel at is playing with the dynamics and tone of the music. They are bold in their musical choices, and while some songs like "Sinking is Swimming" evoke a melancholy sensation, others like "Money" are livelier. Furthermore, each track on The Well possesses its own unique aspects for fans to enjoy. Frontman Jones displays great vocal continuity throughout the music that makes the material flow nicely into one another. As a sophomore album, Waking Ashland should be very proud of what they have accomplished in the studio. That being said, the band is still continuing to do what they like best about the music business, spending time on the road and performing live to audiences all over the country — an aspect of their music they have successfully put into their album this time around. Grade: 3 out of 5