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Review Summary: Hellogoodbye move past their electronic fetish and onto a more pop-rock style while still maintaining their romanticized lyricism. The first years of Hellogoodbye's career showed the makings of a group on the verge of explosion. Their electronically saturated music fueled with middle-school romanticism seemingly grasped the hearts of teenagers everywhere like a cheesy plague spreading throughout the music industry. Just when it seemed that Hellogoodbye were about to break out into stardom, they disappeared. Very little was heard from the band since the release of their 2006 LP, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! and their name and music faded into obscurity partly due to their lawsuit with Drive-Thru Records which restrained them from releasing new material. However, now they have returned after a four year absence from the studio with their newest poppy achievement, "Would It Kill You?". Their return comes with a great breath of fresh air from the band as they incorporate a new luster onto their previously formulaic and progressively boring approach to music. They almost completely rid themselves of their electronic and synth fascination and move onto more traditional pop-rock instrumentation as well as shedding a layer off of their adolescent shell. With this album comes a major growth for the band, while somehow still remaining mostly the same.
The almost immediately present progression comes as a rather large surprise for those who were fans of them during their first few (and only) releases. They showed nearly no signs of change as they performed their synth-laden music with skill and finesse. It would seem for certain that they wouldn't bother changing what was already perfected, but luckily they did. In the opening moments of "Finding Something To Do" they start quick and with a pop-punk like energy similar to that of Relient K or New Found Glory. The drums are swiftly pounded and the guitars sway and flow along with them. This, along with the appearance of a horns section on "Betrayed By Bones" presents a whole new side to the group that was never before seen prior to this. However, below this fresh facet their lyricism remains mostly the same, while showing some signs of moving past high-school romances onto the fear of growing older. They perform this nicely with a cheerful outer appearance with a slightly more melancholy subject matter on the appropriately titled "Getting Old".
While "Would It Kill You?" begins to lose its momentum toward the last half of the album, it serves as a great display of what a little change can do for a band. Hellogoodbye went from an almost overly poppy and synth-drenched quintet into a fun, fresh and catchy pop-rock group. Their flow is superb and they hold a decent ability of switching up sounds to keep the album interesting and ear-catching. They use the talent they have at their disposal to great effect in creating the best album of their career and a wonderful start to what hopefully comes next for the band. Whether it is an expansion on the sound they developed on this record or another direction entirely, it's for certain that they'll still be the cheesiest band in music at the moment.
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PorkchopExpress (4.5)
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amanwithahammer (4.5)
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Album Rating: 3.0
Because this needed a review. Enjoy.
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hellogoodbye is one of those bands i could never get into...something about them annoys me to no fucking end, which is weird because i listen to other music just like this. anyway, this was a good review...the way you described it almost makes me want to check it out.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
This is much different from their older stuff in style, but not so much lyricism like I said. But it's still catchy as fuck on some songs so i'd say the first 4 or so are worth a good listen. Thanks for reading, man
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Wow, I literally just posted my review for this. Nice review.
POS'd
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Haha wow, will definitely read this pretty soon. Thanks, man
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Yeah SowingSeason, I really didn't like their first album whatsoever. Give it a listen.
Also, I've been listening to that Great Northern album a lot lately myself.
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They ditched the electronics? Pass.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
A pun I was considering to put in the review
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I want this.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
It's a great feel good album.It's definitely worth a listen even if you hated their earlier material. If you like steel train and fun. you'll enjoy it.
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hellogoodbye is one of those bands i could never get into...something about them annoys me to no fucking end, which is weird because i listen to other music just like this. anyway, this was a good review...the way you described it almost makes me want to check it out.
Probably the fact that they're touring with 3OH!3
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Cool, I was hoping this was good.
Dear Jamie is a fave of mine, never gets old.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Agreed, Atavan. I really enjoy some of their old stuff, I just think the synth gets really old if I listen too much
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Fuckin' Sickkk
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this is sorta annoying and samey
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
"Betrayed By Bones " is so cooool
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this is really good; reminds me more of straight-up pop music from like, the zombies (if they still
existed today, this wouldnt be too far off from what they would sound like) or something more than
what i was expecting (warped tour type shit, basically). cutesy but, like, duh!
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
While Hellogoodbye's 2nd LP 'Would It Kill You?' is not memorable enough to win any Album of the Year awards, it is a satisfying progression for the Californian pop-rockers. Simplifying their sound by predominantly ditching the electronic components of their uneven debut LP, this is a more focused album & is all the better for it. Including some nice strings & horns arrangements, there are just enough sweet, feel-good melodies & playful quirks to make it a consistently interesting listen. One can't help but feel that they are still capable of better however. Recommended Tracks: Betrayed by Bones, The Thoughts That Give Me The Creeps, Would It Kill You? & When We First Met.
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If by 'simplify their sound' you mean 'sound the same in every song'
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
No, I mean they don't try to be a pop-rock band one minute, an indie band another, and the forerunner to 3OH!fn3 the next!
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