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 | Tracklist:
1. One of THOSE nights
2. Bounce
3. I'll Run
4. High Hopes In Velvet Ropes
5. That 70's Song
6. Take My Hand
7. Risky Business
8. I'm A Wonder
9. Zzzz
10. Vegas Nights
11. Can You Keep A Secret?
12. This City Is Contagious
Release Date: 04/29/2008 | |
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| Summary: If you liked everything about boy bands except the considerable vocal talent, you will adore this album. |
1 of 1 thought this review was well written
Ever listened to an album and got the feeling something very bad was happening in the music world? If not, you can expect to feel it after listening to this mess of N*Sync meets Good Charlotte.
The album was produced by Matt Squire, who, after his success with another project released on the same date, Forever the Sickest Kids' Underdog Alma Mater, had me looking forward to this, The Cab's Whisper War. Unfortunately, this album doesn't come closing to matching the quality of that one, which already was a guilty pleasure rather than any kind of artistic masterpiece. Part of what made that album fun was the fact that the band seemed aware of the cheesy effects and lyrics. This band doesn't give off that vibe. This feels like late-90's pop music: soulless, arrogant, and made-to-order.
Why this band was so heavily hyped in punk circles I will never know. But I do know that I could tell five seconds into the first song-- featuring glitzy electronics and "ooo"'s-- that the boy band movement has truly come back and is in full form.
First, the production sucks. It's so airy and light that it can't even be listed under the vague umbrella of "rock music." The guitars are so safe, so understated that they aren't even guitars anymore. They just become part of the cacophony of synthetically produced hooks that aren't even catchy (which is kind of important if you're going to make a generic pop album.) And even with the guitars so low-key, so out of the forefront, the band still feels a need to soften things up for all the strict parents out there who want to try and be hip by letting their kid listen to non-Christian music but are still under the conviction that nose rings and electric distortion are sins. Take the overly-loud piano in "Bounce" for instance, which, following the guitar chords with single-notes, does a good job of making the guitars even less dirty than they already aren't.
Do you like annoying vocals? Then there's plenty to love here. The forced, nasally vibrato that drenches the background vocals started grinding at my nerves before I had finished the first song. Also, the lead singer has all the unbridled energy of Britney Spears' impassioned performance at last years VMA's.
"I'll Run" and "Take my Hand" is the best work here, but it probably would have been better if it were done by any other pop-punk band besides Good Charlotte. Needless to say, they are the "heavy" songs on the album, and that's saying nothing. But at least they are vaguely pop-punk and feature some semi-catchy recycled guitar riffs (and for once you can actually hear them).
The lyrics are hopelessly generic, but did you expect me to say anything else? I would waste some time giving you some of them, if not for the fact that you can go ahead and open up the booklet to any pop-punk album that's been released in the last 5 years and read them for yourself.
So is this really where music is going? Are we really ready to slip back into the days of N Sync and 98 Degrees? Granted, those groups' talent have been underrated ever since they were shoved from the forefront of mainstream music; the whole "Boy Bands Suck Balls!" thing never caught on with me, considering they did actually have a considerable degree of vocal talent. This band doesn't even have that.
This album is basically all the worst parts of the boy band fad carefully balanced with all of the most annoying of today's pop-punk clichés. And yet still, it will probably be only a few months before the Dyed-and-Straightened-Hair Club will be advertising this group's logo across their newly-blossoming chests. Meanwhile, the rest of us will listen to the more fun, more enjoyable Underdog Alma Mater for our shamelessly-poppy fix and think I wa-a-nt it that-uh wayy.
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good review.
i'll be avoiding this band
Digging: Dark Tranquillity
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
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i'll be avoiding this band
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Yeah, I wished I had too. A lot of people on Amazon.com apparently think differently, though.
Digging: From First to Last - From First To Last | | |
I'll show my Cab hating high school friends.
Digging: Prince - Purple Rain
| | | Album Rating: 3
I dunno, this album is cliche, but not as bad as you say it is. The synth/pop-punk sound I liked. But good review.
Digging: Rites of Spring - End on End | | | Album Rating: 1.5
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The synth/pop-punk sound I liked.
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But it has been done a million times before and much better. Have you checked out the FTSK album yet? Because that does the synth/pop-punk thing 1,000,000x better.
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This sounds so awful.... that I want to hear it. I know, I know. I'm a Masochist. Even though I can tell what I'd be getting myself into, just by looking at the titles.
| | | Album Rating: 2
well according too your username, you must really like this album.
Digging: System of a Down - Toxicity | | | Album Rating: 1.5
Well Big Baby Jesus, once you start the album just remember: it's never too late to say "no."
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haha. well i kinda agree that i was interested in hearing this just for the laughs if anything, but i only have the time to pursue good music
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
What dissapointed me so much about this album is the way several websites were talking about how good it was going to be, how it was going to be one of the best Fueled by Ramen albums this year. And then 20 seconds in the album and I'm like... "uh... what?"
This Message Edited On 05.09.08
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haha don't you hate when you've thrown your money away like that? sometimes i'll find a band i've never heard of and on a hunch i'll buy an album. it's fun when the album turns out good. not so much when it doesn't
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