Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window
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Something Corporate are one of those bands that fit the traditional mould of their genre, but have a difference. In their case, the difference is their lead singer, who is the band's full time pianist/keyboardist. It works quite well too.
Something Corporate seem to be many of the things that are wrong with mainstream music today (eg. two guitarists who don't really do much different from each other, a lead singer with a bratty "rich kid" accent). However, they have the ability to make some heatfelt and uplifting music. While, they are often labelled as emo, they seem to be pretty happy and content with who and what they are. Something Corporate are somewhat a guilty pleasure for me. I don't mind pop-punk now and then but a lot of it seems to boring to me. In every genre that I don't genereally enjoy, there are always a few artists whom I love to death (in this case, it's Brand New, Blink 182, Weezer and Something Corporate).
Something Corporate started in the early 2000s and were a band that many West Coast teenagers were fans of. They jammed early on, and went on to get gigs. Then they started to get one off opening gigs for bands like Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra. Then the punk label, Drive Through Records snapped them up as a crossover act.
The Band
Andrew Mcmahon - Vocals/Piano
Josh Parginton - Guitar
William Tell - Guitar
Brian Ireland - Drums
Clutch - Bass
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I Want To Save You - The song starts out with bass, drums and nice little clean guitar riff. Then the prechorus comes in, a bit heavier, until the song explodes into the chorus. The lyrics to this song are great, and extremely relevant to me, it's not hard to tell what they are about if you listen to the song. I think this song is the best song on the album.
5/5
Punk Rock Princess - Starts out with a 3 chord guitar riff and goes into a palm muted verse with quiet vocals. The chorus then comes in, in the same way as the previous song. There is a bridge that includes strings. The lyrics to this song are kind of corny and a lot like the previous song. I still like them though.
3.4/5
I Woke Up In A Car - Another nice little pop song. The verse is cool with some effects and stuff under Andrew's vocals. The chorus crashes in, again a lot like the previous songs. The cool part is the chorus melodies, and I like the lyrics despite the fact that they are really anything special. A nice song overall.
3.2/5
If You C Jordan - This is a sort of angry song. The lyrics are about someone that Andrew doesn't like. I don't really like this song, the melodies and other parts just aren't really that great. The chorus is a bit silly and the lyrics are bit...crap. One of the album's weaker points.
2.2/5
The Astronaut - This song is toned down a bit, compared to the song's other tracks. It still sticks to the same formula though. The song has some nice melodies and the lyrics are quite good. Andrew's vocals are good, if you like them at all in the first place. The chorus is the best part.
3.8/4
Hurricane - Another good song. It starts with a nice acoustic fingerpicked part which is very nice. The guitar rhythms are pretty tight and the vocals are quite cool. The drumming is good on some parts and the piano melodies when the the song breaks down are really nice. The chorus' lyrics are nice and the overall sound of it is good. You do however, get a bit tired of the samey structure.
3.6/5
Cavanaugh Park - Something different! Yes! The song starts out with piano and strings. Then the vocals some in with some lyrics many people can relate to. Then the chorus comes in, and the variety goes out the window. The melody in the chorus is pretty and reminds me a bit of Oasis. The song is one of the album's stronger songs, really good. It's got some good vocals too.
4/5
Fall - The song starts and you know that it sounds the same as the others, but it's a very good song. The parts between the chorus with the guitar and piano are great and the verses and choruses are cool too. Andrew does some good singing on this one too. It's a cool song overall with nice lyrics.
3.6/5
Straw Dog - A cool intro, and then it drops back to Andrew's vocals and his piano playing. The drum beat is pretty cool. The second verse is the same except with the drums in it. The chorus is good again, but sounds very similar to the other songs. Some of the guitar parts at the end of choruses are quite cool. The end of the song drops back into piano and strings and sounds pretty cool.
3.3/5
Good News - Another piano intro along with Andrew's vocals, then goes into a heavier chorus. The chorus sounds a lot like "Punk Rock Princess". A pretty cool song overall.
2.9/5
Drunk Girl - In my opinion, this is the tied weakest song of the album. The lyrics are pretty stupid, but it's nice to hear some more piano at the start. The whole song is just about how he "kissed a drunk girl". Yeah, it's not really all that great. It just seems pretty pointless.
2.7/5
Not What It Seems - The piano parts between the verse and chorus are nice and the piano in the verse is cool. The verses are choruses are nice, but sound like everything else. Andrew does some good singing on these tracks and the keyboard parts are very nice.
3/5
You're Gone - Good lyrics. This song includes an acoustic guitar which is a bit different. The chorus is the best part, when the song climaxes. Andrew's vocals are probably the best part of the song, along with the guitars in the chorus. I like this one a lot. The best lyric from the chorus is "if you don't like being hurt then please don't stay".
3.7/5
Globes & Maps - A good way to end the album. The vocals are good, but it's nice that the song starts with piano and strings and doesn't go into heavy guitars at all. It's good to have a bit of diversity. The lyrics of this song are very good. This is one of the album's stronger points and it's a really nice way to end the album. Good lyrics.
3.9/5
Despite the fact that in the overall scheme of things, this album is pretty average, I have a big soft spot for it. The lyrics and vocals are really personal. If it's diversity you are looking for, stop reading this review right now and don't look twice at this cd. But it's got some really good moments. It's a great album to listen to if you aren't feeling very happy and need some uplifting pop tunes to help you feel better. I really like this album, but it's really not for everyone. For starters, many people will hate Andrew's vocals. But for those who like simplistic music that is both personal and emotional, don't go past this album. If you are looking for a break from complex challenging music, this is also one to consider. The lyrics are really good, they are all lyrics people can relate to.
FINAL RATING: 3/5
