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Review Summary: Sputnik's most brutal review from sputnik's most brutal reviewer. Sounds a like a poor mans Paramore with an even hotter frontwoman. Today I am going to bring up the significance of change of heart. No, not the Tom Petty song but the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card with the same name as well as the literal meaning. The card’s power lies in the ability to steal one of your opponents monsters and attack them with it for one turn. This was a very significant card for me especially when Blue Eyes White Dragon and Summoned Skull were laying waste to the board. As for the actual meaning of change of heart, I feel this affects me most in my dual personality. On one hand, I am a constantly embittered and aggravated “I hate everybody, *** off or feel my wrath” kind of loner who forsakes all traditional social aspects of society to focus on farming, my fondness for Mens Health, and elite anti mainstream music that I can harness as a weapon to silence and suppress any random scene *** stick with a fruity haircut. On the other hand, I’m a laid back easy going dude who likes chill music, hanging out, and enjoying you know any other kind of normal teenager activities. What brought on this change of heart from a full fledged demon into a mainstream pile of sticks? Well, having a music taste that transcends from ferocious underground black metal to the widespread appeal of Paramore is a strange combination. But I’m sure by now the sputnik community knows me to be a slightly irrational and abnormal character. Personality two speaking, I bring you Hey Monday…………..
I’m always somewhat excited to see how much of a music scene Florida has, especially from the alternative press realm. We have Underoath, Yellowcard, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, unfortunately, Anberlin, Poison The Well, hell even Creed, Automatic Loveletter, and VersaEmerge from my home area just to name a few. Well we can add another band to our ranks in Hey Monday, a West Palm Beach(John Hanson sighting probable) based female fronted pop rock/punk band with a really hot singer. The band is quite new just releasing their debut album “Hold On Tight” in late 2008. Well, they have a sexy chick fronting the band and have been compared to the likes of Paramore so are these guys unique in any sense? In terms of songwriting, musically, or vocally? No, no, and no I must confess. However, what they lack in originality is made up in full dividends with sing-a-long choruses and catchy tunes tailor made for big time radio play. Face it, unless you’re one of those uber elitists that are extremely judgmental to non-creative music I can safely address to you to make like a tree and *** off. This isn’t for you kid. The selling point of the band and the only pretty sight in Hey Monday is found in the charismatic 19 year old front woman Cassadee Pope. She alone is the sole reason to check out Hey Monday even though she doesn’t necessarily boast the strongest pipes in the business.
Sorry for cutting you guys off at last paragraph but I’ll get down to business. Cassadee has a very pleasant sounding voice at times resembling Avril Lavigne and Stacie Oricco but with a little more pep to her step. Her delivery invites you to sing along no matter how much of a underground music loser you are. Shifting between the mid tempo rocking of “Homecoming” and the pop rock styling’s of “How You Love Me Now” she truly shines in the softer paced tracks. Most notably the ballad “Candles” which comes off as an emotional and metaphorical journey to the promised land. The lyrics and the “honest from the heart” singing are delivered with such verve and force that the outlining piano and synthesizer flourishes can’t even compete. I have now found a suitable replacement song to cry myself to sleep at night. The guitar player Mike Gentile who happens to be one of the ugliest people that I have ever seen plays back to the basics guitar work for dummies. Bare bones power chords are found through in and through out Hey Mondays! audio makeup. Unfortunately, Mr. Mike almost completely ruins the momentum of the first single “Homecoming” with a half-assed and repugnant guitar solo that goes absolutely nowhere. Mother ***er! It’s insulting to say at the least, but it least it ends as quickly as it started. I have no doubt this straightforward chord heavy format would make out to be a killer live presence but a little more variety and melody would greatly strengthen the band. Drumming is RAT-A-TAT-TAT, RAT-A--TAT- TAT. Speed based and soulless just the way I like it. Highly uncreative, Sir Elliot James excels at playing safe and standard drum patterns. Look at his playing style this way. Catchy? Yes. Efficient? Yes. Nuff said, that’s all you need to sell a few records and Hey Monday like to play it by ear. The bass playing isn’t much better but at least it’s present in the mix and relatively enticing to the ear.
Unfortunately, one major concern I have with this record is the one dimensional songwriting. More often than not, the voice carries the underwhelming background music and it’s a shame because if these guys and gal had the chops and the immediate hooks of Paramore, these guys could become huge. Fortunately most of the choruses are quite memorable so if you’re a chorus kind of guy/girl then your in luck. Then again, this band is already growing exponentially without blistering double bass patterns or guest appearances by George Corpsegrinder Fisher and Varg Vikernes. More or less Hey Monday comes off as a poor mans Paramore. It’s hard to be really critical about the band since “Hold On Tight” is their first record. There are bound to be a few mistakes but all in all, Hey Monday have crafted a fun, zazzy and accessible record for the simple minded cretins of the mainstream mass. If you consider yourself a part of the mainstream mass or you’re just like me, a conflicted and stressed out zazzy farmer I urge you to check this band out if not just for the hot singer Cassadee.
Recommended Songs:
1. Candles. Powerful driven ballad to sing along with your girlfriend. I do, wait…I don’t have a girlfriend. BOB SAGET commie son of a b……..
2. How You Love me Now.
3. Homecoming. Almost marred by that toolish excuse for a guitar solo. Music video redeems itself by the singer banging her head.
| other reviews of this album |
heyadam (5)
Filled with catchy choruses and beautiful vocals, Hey Monday's "Hold On Tight" grabs you from the be...
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Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
If my profanity is a problem, I can muster it up a little bit and clean out some of the dialouge. I think I need to start going back to youth group though.
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never played yugioh, none the less this brought the lulz. I find this a bit too shallow for my taste. its kinda like a chick fronted All Time Low without the humor. Butch Walker wrote How You Love Me Now which is always a plus.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
Interesting, I guess i'll have to go youtube that. I agree with you on the shallow bit. Low substance but pretty fun record. When I hear that crappy solo, I just want to strangle the guitar player. ARGH!!!!!
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Josey, don't you worry.
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Best review ever.
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Best review ever.
oh its lulzy and has plenty of zazz but its no
The capacity of human intelligence seems to limit the capabilities to expand upon any
possible creative aptitudes. Indeed, if one cannot even notice the facets that the ingenuities
around him are comprised of, how can he be expected to fashion a beast of his own? This inveterate
sense of constraint is a great blow to the veracity of mankind’s abilities. It restrains us and
holds our minds to the ground below, averting any possibility of rising above ourselves to
something greater; something not fathomed by the conventional mind. This concept of seeking to go
beyond one’s self, known as “transcendence”, is essentially a gateway to unlocking pieces of
ourselves that can lead to some of the most elaborate and significant creations of our world. For
many, this quest to transcend and form creations that were once considered unthinkable and
overwhelming consumes life. Certainly it is rare to find such people, but when they are found,
creative barriers are destroyed. This Message Edited On 03.24.09
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
I was going to add that Shadows speech but frankly, this album isn't that zazzy.
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Review gave me a chuckle Balls. Good stuff & I'd actually been trying to keep away from this for fear it may be awful, so you have convinced me to at least give it a listen.
Of course, if I deem it to be awful, I'm comin' after ya.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
It is awful technically, I just find it catchy.
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I can like catchy.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
I like your style.
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Why thank you.
Hey, you're approaching the big triple figures in reviews. Anything special planned?
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hehe, florida.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
Not yet, but i'll think of something that will even top this. Technically though, i'm on review 105 right now but I curse the old gods for not saving the 11 that got lost in the crashes. Got beef Yeti?
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Not for long. I will deal with this one Balls.
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I should listen to a song of this...
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
Youtube away....
| | | Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off
haha Wylie you are the absolute last person i expected to review this album. with that said, it is awesome. i was actually planning to review this a while ago, but you said everything i was planning to say, and probably did it much better than i would have. they're very immature as a band, but they do have a few great hooks. i still can't escape the feeling that the group is basically just a back-up band for Cassadee, but at least they write better power chord riffs than Hannah Montana's back-up band.
Just two suggestions for you Wylie.....
1: get rid of the first paragraph, it's completely unnecessary. i wouldn't have even read it, except that i was big into Yu-Gi-Oh several years ago.
2: Never, EVER call ANYONE hotter than Hayley Williams (not that i disagree--Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley. i simply fear for your Sputnik life, considering the major boner this site has for miss Hayley).
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
Well, I'm not going to do 1. because I am known for writing pointless and random opening paragraphgs that go nowhere. This is a specialty of mine, to namedrop and to real in the viewer with some entertainment before getting down to business. 2, I'm BallsToTheWall, I can handle a few or 13,267 Hayley Williams fanboys. And 3. thanks but at this point, nothing is too suprising for me to review.
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Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley
Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley
Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley
Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley
Cassadee is most definitely sexier than Hayley
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