Review Summary: The album to remind you of your mediocre high school garage band used solely to get chicks. Featuring one of the worst songs of all time.
Growing up, I'd been raised on radio friendly pop-punk like
blink-182 and
Sum 41. Being a composer myself, and having melodies be one of the most important aspects to a song in my opinion, I went on a search early in my life to find the catchiest pop-punk I could. I'd come across so many pop-punk bands it would make your head spin. Then one day, I stumbled upon
Forever the Sickest Kids The Weekend: Friday. Curiously, I picked it up, expecting incredibly over-produced vocals and amazingly simple sugar-coated guitar riffs. To be honest, I was half right.
As soon as the album starts, we're greeted with a little synth loop that makes you think 'Wow, this band must be targeted for little girls.'... and then the vocals start which just cement the idea. It's obvious
Forever the Sickest Kids is not meant to be taken as anything groundbreaking. Song topics include girls, break ups and that's pretty much it. Pretty deep stuff, isn't it?
Looking at the band as a whole, there really isn't anything special. Lead singer Jonathan Cook sounds like a more butch version of Vic Fuentes, except, Vic Fuentes can actually sing without the aid of autotune. Guitars are mediocrely performed, doing little to add melody to the songs, save for the one semi-interesting bouncy-ska type section near the end of
Do or Die. The drums are atrociously simple, doing little other than adding a backbone to the songs. The bass is surprisingly heard quite a bit during the songs, but is no more talented or well-executed than the guitars.
Found on this album are 4 fantastic pop-punk songs, 2 average, forgettable songs, and one song that has no reason to exist. The 4 fantastic songs are amazingly cliche and average, but what makes them so great for me, are the melodies, and the nostalgia. The melodies are, put bluntly, sugary pop punk bliss. Just the way the line 'Don't try to impress me with make - believe stories. Darling, please spare me, I'm already hurting.' flows is great. Despite how much of a stereotypical pop punk approach the band took, they manage to make it so fun. Songs
Tough Love and
Take It Slow are prime examples of this. The nostalgia, is a more personal aspect for me. Everything that makes this album will remind you of what it's like to be in a band in your high school years. The mediocrity, the need for girls and the amount of fun this band is having. They don't care what you think of them, they're having fun playing music, it's just too bad the most of the music isn't too great.
With that being said, I move on to the 2 forgettable songs. Nothing about these songs stand out, or try to be anything other than filler. The previous songs, were at least very fun and catchy, while these songs, are just kind of here.
What Do You Want From Me shows this the most. The lyrics are uninspired, and as simple as they come. It's basically an ode to following trends. Boring describes this section the best, so let's move on to what could be possibly the worst song I've ever heard in my life.
Hawkbot begins with an ear-bleedingly bad autotuned vocal performance which leads to rapping from guest Chae Hawk. Never heard of him? Me neither. Ugh, listening to this song is the equivalent to shaving your balls with a cheese grater. Virtually no instruments are present in this, save for synth and drums, which might not sound so bad, but good god, it is.
All in all, if you're into sugary pop punk, with not-so annoying vocals, check it out, but only the first four songs, because those are the only worthwhile songs you'll get on this EP. Mind you, they are in no way spectacular or talented, but they're fun, energetic, and if you were ever in a mediocre band, you will get a rush of nostalgia listening to this band. One last thing before I end this, what kind of name is
Forever The Sickest Kids? Runner-up for worst band name of all-time, behind Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Recommended Tracks
Do or Die
Tough Love
She Likes (Bittersweet Love)
Take It Slow
Stay the hell away from:
Hawkbot
