This Providence, is what I am convinced to be the future of pop-punk. The band just got out of high-school when they recorded this album and it sounds like they have been doing this for a while. Nothing new or original, but excluding Coheed And Cambria what originality can we expect from pop-punk? The band just gets the best out of what they can do with there instruments, has some good surrounding lines along to go with catchy and meaningful choruses.
"Well Versed In The Ways of The World", is a hard and aggressive opener just like the closer to the album. From the begging of the song which sounds like a telephone ring you can tell this song has the potential to be a good opener, and then it develops into a somewhat drastic beat change into the surrounding lines. Though the lines though generic pop-punk, the emotion they are sang with is just perfect for the beat. The beat changes make this song a nice song to listen to, though simple, it's always nice to see a beat change in a pop-punk song that isn't just a soft/loud or loud/soft chorus formula. This is a good opener. 4/5
If you were expecting having to wait for the intensity in the second track, "Truth & Reconciliation", you are not going to get it. The song comes right after you with a consistent distorted drum beat along with some in your face guitar. The lyrics in this song are distributed well between the two vocalist. The single from this album and is probably the song that would apply best to the public. A nice song that could be better if it was stretched out to be a longer song. 3.5/5
"Everyday", takes a while to form a consistent beat like the opener and with the peaks of emotion in this song it makes it a highlight from the album. The songs beat is as risky in the opening as the opener, but with a little change with the work on the Piano [which is distorted]. The song is produced so that even the piano could fit the vocals but you could tell that it is building to something as in about 10 seconds a some light drum work comes in about the 15 second mark. The songwriting is lackluster as it is for most of the album, as the well-produced beat continues into the one of the three best choruses of the album. When the band writes with desperation as they do in this songs chorus there potential is limitless. And the chorus in this song shows off that talent perfectly. After what I believe is the second repetition of the chorus a little Gatsby's like guitar solo comes in and though nothing special it builds nicely into the breakdown, were the singer calmly repeats "Everyday", and the chorus is repeated but this time with what sounds like the beat in the chorus. Another good listen from this album. 4.5/5
"Best Wishes", is one of the softest songs on the album, and for This Providence that really doesn't work out that well, since this band really feeds so much off emotion. The light guitar and drum song is a disappointment, until the chorus which speeds up the beat a little beat. The chorus lyrically is generic but since it gets the song pointed in the right direction it is a nice chorus. But since this hard beat doesn't continue outside this chorus the song overall is just alright. 3.5/5
"To Kill This", is another one of the three highlights of the album, it's similar to "Everyday" in the chorus but is the best produced song of the album. The song starts out with an acoustic beat sort of in the background and as the song goes on they seem to go with electric at guitar. The lyrics outside, "Our Flag Is White", are the best of the album, and the chorus contains a weird since of emotion that makes the song a highlight from the album. Overall this song is one of the best written and produced songs from this album. 4.7/5
"Certain Words in Uncertain Times", is another good song off this album. The beat is sort of weird in the chorus and puts the song into perspective overall it is kind of odd. But the song is starting to show the maturity of the songwriters as the album goes on. The song is overall acoustic in the surrounding lines and chorus but some little techno noises in the chorus. In the breakdown the songwriting hits it's peak and the acoustic beat picks up a little beat. A nice song, both experimental and well-written just a little repetitive. 4.2/5
The next song, "Catching My Breath" is one of the most generic songs on this album. The beat stays mostly the same with some average guitar playing and some drums accompanying the two singers vocals. That what makes the opening of this song a good opener how the two singers vocals flow perfectly together. The chorus though to extended, has a harder beat than the surrounding lines and the vocals fit perfectly to the beat. Another nice song by This Providence. 4/5
"Twisted System", is kind of a quick 2 minute 22 second interlude. The beat doesn't really change and the song doesn't have a great breakdown like every other song on this album has. Even though I've seen worst interludes this one wasn't to impressive. 3/5
"Any Romantic Fairytale", starts out with a pretty straight-forward skate rock beat which mellows down and the guitar gets a little bit more exposed towards the surrounding lines. The song distorts the vocalist's vocals a little bit but it moves perfectly into the chorus. The chorus flows perfectly with some nice little rhyming about a relationship as the beat picks up a little beat. In the next surrounding beat you can hear a little technological beat being played in the background which again flows nicely into the chorus. After this chorus there is a slight instrumental solo with some background lyrics, after these the singer does a blatant cry out and if this part was longer it would give this song potential to be even better. But it is still a very nice song. 4.3/5
"Our Flag Is White", is by pop-punk standards epic. The song contains many beat changes and is a classic ending to this album. This song really shows the potential this band has. At first, the band sings along to the soft beat and you can barely hear there vocals, this turns into a beat that is about the same intensity but the vocals are more clear to your ears. After this we have a dramatic change in the beat as the singers get prepared for about a 2 minute and 30 second breakdown: "Here I Am", is sang to a electric guitar beat and you can tell that it is building to something, and all the sudden with a bang of the drums a new breakdown is sang with the chorus in the background sang by the lead vocalist. This goes on for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds like I said above, but the good thing about it is that it doesn't get to repetitive and annoying. This song shows the potential this band has. 5/5
This band really has potential when they make songs like "Everyday, To Kill This, and "Our Flag Is White". These songs contained a overboard amount of emotion sang to ever-changing beats and if This Providence can do this on there next album it will have the potential to be a classic. And for just coming out of High School at the ages of 19, I would say that this isn't a bad first album at all.
Download These:
To Kill This
Our Flag Is White
Everyday
Catching My Breath
Any Romantic Fairytale
