Review Summary: Catchy, fun, upbeat, and completely forgettable
Last week I turned 16 and got my first real synthesizer. I've spent the last couple of days making all sorts of weird noises with it and generally getting used to what exactly a synthesizer can do. It's also made me listen to my CDs differently--I can identify what synthesizer settings made certain sounds and stuff like that. It's pretty cool
The day before yesterday I was looking through my CD collection when I came across
A Collection of Short Stories by Houston Calls, a relic of my synth-pop phase. I'd never really loved the album, but with my newfound love of synthesizers and my never-ending love of pop-rock, I figured I'd give it another try.
To be honest, this is not a bad album. The synth lines, while far from complex, are always catchy, and keyboardist Ryohei Okamoto really does his job well. The keyboards never dominate the mix and seldom take the spotlight, but always add something to the song. The guitar work is pretty sophisticated, and the band almost always utilizes both guitarists. There are no solos or anything too fancy, but the guitars are pretty solid.
The lyrics, while often painfully generic (I’ll talk more about that later), have their moments.
Bob and Bonnie, a sweet, inspirational ode to long-lasting love, stands out as the best lyrical example.
Quote:
As the song spun, so did the room
As they hold hands, all of the lights seem to flicker
Playing it safe, he kissed her cheek
Does he still look at you the same way now?
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Just because it’s not a bad album, however, doesn’t mean it’s a terribly good album. There’s a severe lack of variety here, and towards the second half of the album it often becomes hard to tell when one song ends and the next begins. The band seemed to try to fix this problem by repeating each song’s chorus enough times to make you remember, but this unfortunately results in some really repetitive songs. Adding to this problem is the fact that certain songs’ choruses are annoying to begin with.
The biggest problem with this album, though, is that it’s some of the least original music I’ve ever heard. Houston Calls fall into just about every pop-punk cliché there is: The start stop riffs, the sarcastic, pseudo-clever lyrics, even the vocals have a certain quality to them that feels totally unoriginal. The band themselves say on their website that they in no way intend to revolutionize music, but a little creativity would be nice.
Overall,
A Collection of Short Stories is a fun but completely forgettable affair. My advice: Check out
Exit Emergency,
Bob and Bonnie, and
Elephant and Castle, and don’t bother with the rest.
