If I have to hear one more person call Yellowcard "innovative", that's when I start killing people. Adding an instrument unusual to the genre is one thing, but writing simplistic, unflattering lines and playing said instrument like just another guitar is something else entirely. To be precise - it's lame, and unfair to people that actually like music. The violinist adds almost no depth to the sound of this album beyond the rudimentary fact that his instrument is a different timbre - his contribution would've been entirely overlooked were it played by another, more common instrument. For instance, a guitar.
The songwriting here is all catch, and is subsequently drab and boring. The band only once really ever achieves anything greater than mediocrity on One for the Kids, with "Rock Star Land" being the standout in terms of instrument writing and playing. The drummer is sloppy when trying to consistently play a beat pattern that isn't simple as hell, and it's noticeable in some key areas. You've already heard everything the guitarists have to offer, and you can't hear the bass since it's basically been mixed out. The vocals and harmonies go flat on several tracks. Every element of this album is generic and uninteresting. Why even bother with a band that is trying to look cool and different, despite that they bring no genuinely new ideas to the scene, and even find ways to do old ones poorly?
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