Review Summary: A nice breeze, sun out, walking/lounging on campus with nowhere to go would be a perfect locale for this album.
Artist: Freshman 15
Album: Throw Up Your Hands For One Night Stands
Label: Standby Records
http://www.myspace.com/freshman15rock
Rating: 3/5
Everyone entering or has entered college have heard about the Freshman 15. This is when most college freshman gain fifteen pounds. There are different causes that can be attributed to this, but I think the myth is a bit outdated. Most of the people I have met this year have been freshman, and we are all losing weight not gaining weight. So with that in mind, why did an Atlanta based band name themselves Freshman 15? The answer is, take a listen to their music. Freshman 15 plays a brand of pop-punk that a lot of college students would love. With Spring approaching and colleges already having Spring Break, ECU, UNC, and North Carolina State to name a few. The band released
Throw Up Your Hands For One Night Stands in February.
The commences with a distorted guitar riff before the vocals change the mood to a poppy sound. The vocalist does sound a bit sluggish on the first song “
Phoenix Can Keep You” and the instruments had to pick up the slack. He does improve a bit on the songs after that, but it’s not enough for the danceable pop-punk that has gained a lot of success recently. This does lead to a vibe of old school pop-punk that is enjoyable while not trying to be a success. If they were trying to make it big we would not be able to have a gem like “
Our California Song” on the album. The vocals and guitar riffs form to make a fantastic song that could be a spring and/or summer anthem for the ones that will not like the top 40 summer anthem.
The guitarists are a bit hurt by the style of music they play, as nothing big really happens for guitarists in pop-punk. This does not stop them from trying to make an impact in the music. They go for a more distorted sound during the verses and it works out for them as it is a bit of a fresh air in the genre. However during the choruses, they go straight for melody and is pushed to second string with the drummer being ahead of them. The drummer does not go for anything complex, but he helps most of the great parts.
Freshman 15 has created an album made for the spring and summer months. Once it gets too cold, depends on your specific definition of too cold, this album loses its appeal and does not work as well. As this does depend on the weather outside, this is an average album at best. I do recommend that everyone at least give it a listen on their iPod when it is warm outside. A nice breeze, sun out, walking/lounging on campus with nowhere to go would be a perfect locale for this album.
Recommended Songs: Our California Song, What Are Friends For?, When Cheating Had Feeling
