Review Summary: The most charming band I’ve encountered in years.
I discovered Patent Pending the same way most people probably did, when I saw them support some other band at a concert. As we all know watching support acts can be a somewhat awkward affair, especially when you don’t know who they are. Both the crowd and the band know that we didn’t really come to see them, often resulting in a sea of people politely bobbing their heads whilst the band looks increasingly more fed up that nobody is singing along. This was not the case with Patent Pending. Before we could begin the routine head-bobbing singer Joe Ragosta bounded onto the stage singing at the top of his lungs with a mad grin and childish glee in his eyes. Despite the fact that no one had known who they were they somehow had the whole room jumping up and down in minutes. What ensued was a crowd surfing race between Ragosta and guitarist Marc Kantor, a dance off in place of a mosh pit and an indescribably silly pirate chant. It’s the only time I’ve seen a crowd just as sad when the support act left as when the main act did, something that I think aptly summarizes the band and album. Whilst Patent Pending ultimately aren’t doing anything all that innovative in Second Family they deliver their endearing brand of pop punk with such energy and charm that makes it hard not to love them.
The lyrics are at the core of what makes Second Family what it is. The album is largely made up of lighthearted songs about the ups and downs of relationships, from the self-explanatory 'I Already Know (She Don’t Give a S**t About Me)' to the touching 'Spin Me Around'. Some are sincere and moving whilst others have a sort of innocence about them that pleasantly reminds me of my childhood. They all find their place in the album, each song feeling relatable whilst different from one another so that none feel like filler. Even so, this constant theme would have gotten stale if it weren’t broken up here and there as it has been. The brilliantly sarcastic ‘Douchebag’ is a great example, showing the band at their most enjoyably immature. At the other end of the spectrum is the heart retching ‘One Less Heart To Break’, an elegantly simple song about suicide with a potent message at its center: things can always get better. It stands out amongst the other songs, making the little love disputes we can all too easily fixate on feel petty and insignificant. It rightfully puts these in perspective and is the powerful highlight of the album. Aside from this exceptional high the lyrics are not the most creative ever written, although they ultimately didn’t need to be. They fit the album well, conveying the band’s messages with sincerity and simplicity, demonstrated well by ‘Cut, Copy, Paste’. One minor criticism is that Ragosta’s delivery of the lyrics is nothing special, on par with most other singers of the genre. It’s certainly more what he says rather than how he says it that makes Second Family such an enjoyable and comforting listen and makes me return to the album when I need something to raise my spirits.
The music itself can be summarized as pop punk that errs on the side of pop. The songs are built around catchy guitar and choruses that you cant help but sing along to, backed by solid drumming and bass work that creates an uplifting experience to match the album’s subject matter. Second Family also contains a smattering of piano, acoustic guitar, trumpets as well as shameless synthesizers that help create a pleasantly diverse and fun album whilst staying in the confines of the genre. The album shifts between fast belters such as ‘Valentine’, rhythmic and layered songs like ‘Shake Weights & Moving Crates’, more rock infused pieces such as ‘We’re Freakin’ Out’ and even Ska Punk inspired songs like ‘Set The Sun On Fire’. It makes for an enjoyably varied listen whilst retaining coherency as an album by not straying too far from its pop punk roots. Admittedly there are a couple of songs that feel a little unimaginative, namely ‘This Love Can Save Us All’ and ‘Memory’. Whilst these aren’t bad songs they do come across a little bland compared to their peers. Another minor gripe is that the album lacks the constant energy of “Save Each Other, The Whales Are Doing Fine”, thus failing to replicate one of the things that makes the bands live performances so fun. However the upside of this is worth it, resulting in a more polished and refined album than any of its predecessors that stands up better after several listens consequently.
In the end I know the album probably deserves a lower rating than I’ve given it; all Second Family really does musically is copy the Pop Punk formula as dozens of bands have before with a few minor tweaks. However, I just can’t make myself rate it any lower. What the album lacks in ingenuity it more than makes up for in personality, a blend of comforting fun and a sort of childish innocence that really grows on you. I guess the best way to describe it is to say that Second Family lives up to its name: It’s that reassuring voice telling you that you were too good for your ex, it’s quirky in a way that encourages you to be yourself, it’s a helping hand up when you’ve fallen down and most importantly it’s a good laugh when you need it the most.
