Review Summary: Two parts of nu-metal juggernaut TFK carrying their influence and their talent into this pop-punk party make for an explosion of clever lyrics and catchy choruses.
This is a great first album, any way you look at it. FM Static, side project of Thousand Foot Krutch frontman Trevor McNevan, was bound to bring back some great memories; they'd have to with two parts of the nu-metal juggernaut, vocalist McNevan and drummer Steve Augustine, carrying both their influences and their talent into a new group. FM Static is a pop-punk adventure through almost sickeningly-sweet memories of high school love, loss and good times.
The album gets off to a great start with the '90s-era-TFK-reminiscent "Three Days Later," which makes clever, although certainly not new, use of number synonyms during the chorus ("ONE, she makes me feel not TWO much like anything, that's THREE times more than I've ever felt before" and so on and so forth) that work nicely. A lot of the lyrics are like this, little metaphors that carry through seemingly unrelated pieces.
"Crazy Mary" is another catchy track, and it has another crunchy chorus. FM Static certainly used their best moves on the choruses, as all of the tracks on "What Are You Waiting For?" have excellent chord structures and lyrics that beg "sing me!"
"Something to Believe In" is memorable but pales in comparison with "Definitely Maybe," the obvious single. McNevan croons (as much as a primarily nu-metal vocalist can) about unrequited love and couples it with some rolling lyrics and hooky guitar.
"Donna" and "All the Days" go together well, with similar subject matter (though without the substance of "Definitely Maybe") and one can carry themselves back to their final days of high school through their bounding verses.
"Hold Me Twice" is somewhat memorable, somewhat forgettable. The verses didn't really stick with me at all, with the vocals about as abrasive as they get on the album and some interesting usage of distorted, single guitar notes, but the chorus really picks up and saves the song from complete mediocrity.
"The Notion" is a classic party anthem, and one can certainly imagine it being played in one of those forgettable movies with party scenes, the ones where you can't remember any of the plot but the first thing you do when you get home is google the movie and get the soundtrack, just so you can snag that some. That's "The Notion" in a nutshell, a hooky, catchy, energetic bounce through high school. Just like the rest of the album, I suppose.
"October" is one of my personal favourites. It's about old flames with uncertain futures, and the melancholy is welcome on an otherwise upbeat album. Don't get me wrong, it's not depressing, but the lyrics seep with lost love and it's easy to see yourself in the singer's place.
The ten-song romp finishes up with "My First Stereo," an ode to an inanimate object, as the title implies. It's got a good vibe going for it, and it's a journey, both lyrically and musically. It's not as good as "October," in my opinion, but it's a great finisher and, if you listen past the end, features the hidden track, "Hey Now," which, while not as excellently done as the rest of the album, is still a fun listen, provided you've been actively listening to the whole album. It's not something to just jump into without context.
Essentially, "What Are You Waiting For?" is a great introduction to the band and a great party record. The lyrics are, for the most part, excellent (although phrases like "getting nervous in the worst way" or "dug you in the worst way" feel awkward and out of place, especially due to their unnecessary frequency) and the hooks are, well, hooky. An excellent adventure through the high school hallways.
