Review Summary: A major improvement and they show potential, but they've got a ways to go.
Sometime Last Night is the sophomore album to the band R5. I have to say that have given a respectable effort towards this album and there is much improvement from the last. Taken on more of an adult sound and more adult themes while still keeping their tween and teen audiences is not an easy job. However it does seem pretty transparent as their attempt to break out of the pre teen disney pop band and tackle a more Maroon 5 sound. It seems as if to achieve the goal of having an older audience yet still keep their fans who were first introduced to the band but more specifically their front man (Ross Lynch) through the disney channel show “Austin & Ally”, R5 have still stuck with disney roots primarily writing about girls, having fun, and relationships in general. I would like to see in the future them take on different topics and be adventurous with choosing the topics that their songs cover. I hope that they have a lot more to say then the time they got their heart broken by their high school sweet heart.
All Night
The starting song starts pretty good with this catchy song about having a good time and staying up all night with your friends. Besides the lack of originality it does set up for whats to come with the rest of their album.
2. Wild Hearts
This starts out with interesting sounds that pull you in and it talks about living every moment like its your last to do what makes you happy. Overall a decent song one of my favourites.
3. Dark Side
Despite the name dark side has very pop influenced light fun tune and sound. It mainly talks about trying convince a girl to cheat on her boyfriend and to be with him. Also letting out the “dark side” by not thinking about your actions and just doing what you want to.
4. Lets Not Be Alone Tonight
A classic sounding song with a catchy chorus perfect for radio play. About staying together with someone even if you don’t know them really well. An overall pretty good song that is catchy and I think a lot of people with enjoy.
5. Repeating Days
Repeating Days is easily my favourite song on this album. It sound very different from the other stuff. They really seem to break out of their shell in this one. A more emotional song about a complicated back and forth relationship. Over all a nice yet sad sounding song to listen to. Also to continue with not going their usually route, at the end of the song an acoustic of the final line in the song after a few seconds of silence when they talk about finally saying good bye to this toxic relationship, also this part is stripped down to just Ross’ voice and the acoustic guitar. Unfortunately this is as deep as the band goes for the entire album.
6. Smile
To lighten the mood after the previous song Smile is a song that they say was heavily inspired by The Beatles and you can defiantly hear it. A happier song about wanting to make someone happy. Overall a solid pop song and a ver good pick me up. Holds a positive message as well.
7. Lighting Strikes
This is the one song that the sister and girlfriend of the rest of the band Rydel Lynch sings and I applaud her as this is another one of my favourites. A catchy yet more in-depth song about regretting losing someone and wanting someone back. This song loses all of synth that is normally used in the rest of the songs and it is just the simple instruments which is nice to hear once in a while. A very good and fun pop rock song.
8. F.E.E.L G.O.O.D.
Another song about a relationship and a girl about wanting to please her because she makes you happy. Spelling out the title in the song, I thought was a fun idea and only pushed to capability for you to sing along Even if you tell the sexually innuendoes.
9. I Know You Got Away
The coolest sound song n my opinion. A darker sound song about someone you get go. Almost has a Queen sound to it with their backing vocals being the rest of band and making them pretty apparent.
10. Do It Again
Now this is what I was expecting when I heard of a new R5 album. Another love song about a girl. This is one of the more indistinguishable songs on the album but one that is very clearly based for the younger females.
11. Did You Have Your Fun?
An interesting song about you guessed it a girl. About relationship or it sounds more like a hook up and the some the girls they've met it when traveling. Cool sounding but the lack of originality at this point is killing me.
Bonus
12. Doctor, Doctor
A typical sounding disney band sounding song. Fun for the younger audiences and tackles the subject of your love being addictive and potently toxic. Which in my mind is a subject that has beaten to death and done many times by this band alone.
13. What You're Missing
Another song that in my mind could be on their first album. About a girl that he’s trying to win over who thinks she has it all except he's trying to convince her that she needs him to be happy.
Overall a major improvement from the first album but I am just waiting for the moment they ditch the typical teen heartthrob sound and experiment more with more interesting and original topics. I have hope for R5. They just need time they have shown that they trying an they are improving.
