I came across Gym Class Heroes whilst browsing Purevolume's Hip Hop section. I was drawn to them by their name. This s probably wouldn’t have happened if the band was called something like Atmosphere (though Atmosphere are superior to GCH). Anyways I listened to the single and album’s title track Papercuts and then Taxi Driver (a song that seemingly mentions almost every band in the current pop-punk scene). Well needless to say I ended up listening to the whole album and now I am here at my computer reviewing it.
The Sound
GCH from the second I saw their line-up reminded me of one band, The Roots. Not because they necessarily sound like the Roots but because like the Roots they use live instruments to play their brand of Alternative Hip-Hop. In a way GCH almost have more in common sound wise with Pop-Punk giants and tour mates Fall Out Boy (Lead Singer Patrick Stump actually is featured on a single). GCH combine perfectly quirky lyrics with almost post-punk style riffs. This is in my opinion almost exactly what the current popular rap scene needs. Travis, the band’s rapper has the perfect style of writing, witty, quirky, fun and even sometimes kind of scary. And his voice fits so well.
The Story
This album is sort of a loose concept album. The tracks follow a general order but don’t seem like they were written to go together like whole concept albums like A Grand Don’t Come for Free. The main character starts out with the end of a relationship (Papercuts), then he starts dating around to fill the whole (Make Out Club). Then he loses a close friend/relative. To end the depression that his ex-girlfriend and friend’s death left he begins to use drugs (Pillmatic). Soon he finds another girl (Cupid’s Chokehold) and loses her. He finally figures out that he is gay and gets murdered after coming out (Faces in the Hall). This is at least my interpretation of the story. I might be wrong though.
The Standout Tracks
After a psychedelic intro the first GCH song I ever heard comes on.
Papercuts describes an old relationship coming too an end, even though the main character doesn’t want it to. Despite the hardly original song topic Gym Class Heroes make the topic their own. The music on this CD is just so good. If the lyrics don’t get caught in your head the bass line will, with its octaves in the beginning and perfect lines in the choruses. The production on this CD is amazing, everything is the perfect level, perfect tone and perfectly timed.
She says she loves me but she comes and goes when she pleases/When the door shuts
it's like another papercut/and now I'm stuck with a hand full of band aids/until she comes back around like them ceiling fan blades
The previously mentioned
Taxi Driver begins with a single beautiful guitar line, Showing that unlike D4L and such GCH can actually follow up a song that could make a girl angry (Make Out Club) with a song that a girl (or a guy for that matter) could fall in love with. Fitting perfectly under the pretty guitar line is a thumping bass line and drum that fits with the bass line like pieces in a puzzle. Even after I’ve listened to this song 9 or 10 times I still enjoy listening to it and figuring out the witty lyrics in which Travis mixes a story about a girl (surprise, surprise) in with at least 50 band names. Everyone from the obvious, Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday to the not so obvious, Story of the Year and Death Cab for Cutie. Besides being a fun song this song features some of the best rapping on the album. I can totally see this as being a free style rap.
she played games but she took em too far/At the Drive In/watching soft porn and you can tell/By the Trail of the Dead, that there was somethin in the popcorn /I hop in my cab destination Midtown/just to Get Up with some Kids that like to get down
The next song is the most personal and for that reason GCH don’t play it live.
Pillmatic is, besides being the most personal; actually sounds like a hip hop song. Featuring an eerie string and piano sample Pillmatic almost sounds like an Outkast song, especially because Travis’ voice sounds much Andre 3000 voice. The lyrics as the name might suggest talks about the singer’s drug addiction and how he steals pills to get away from the pain of life. A very emotional song to say the least.
Pillmatic breezing these down im poundin honey grounds/I’m pillmatic the oxycontin got my stomach rottin/Pillmatic I swear to God I’m not an addict/But I’m still at it, dag nabbit I’m pillmatic
My prediction is that the next single,
Cupid’s Chokehold will put Gym Class Heroes lyrics into the myspace profiles of every twelve-year-old girl who watches MTV. With its odd (to say the least) video and guest spot by none other than Patrick Stump (for everyone who lives under a rock, the singer in Fall Out Boy) Cupid’s Chokehold is almost guaranteed to set a fire on the TRL charts… but who knows. Not to mention that the song isn’t half bad either. As you can guess the love sick songs are back and the drug songs are out. The lyrics are written as a note to the main characters parents, telling them about how great his girlfriend is.
.
And I know it sounds so old/ but cupid’s got me in a choke hold/And I’m afraid that I might give in/towels on the mat/ my white flag is waving .
Faces in the Hall totally changes the mood that Cupid’s Chokehold left behind. The lyrics profile a homo-sexual teen named Alberto and how is teased, ridiculed and eventually murdered. The music in this song is simple to say the least. The verses practically feature only a drum part. The chorus isn’t exactly a great sing-a-long. The second verse profiles Alberto’s girlfriend, a head strong rebel who has no idea that Alberto is gay.
Alberto had a monster he kept under his bed/instead of letting it out,/he just got a girlfriend instead/she knew something was funny/she could tell by his behavior/
or the way he flamboyantly shook his hand/when he would wave to her
The album ends on kind of a low note. Instrumentals, remixes and songs that really don’t fit. Although the instrumentals are actually really good and the last two songs aren’t bad either I just can’t get into them. The remix is fairly terrible.
Pros
- Singer has a great voice
- Band makes great beats and melodies
- Good Lyrics
- Story is interesting
Cons
- Way to many songs about girls (In the Dashboard Confessional style)
- A lot of filler (especially at the end)
- Papercuts Remix
-Dan
