This is tolerable (but not good) emo with relatively straightforward and generic writing tactics: Singing vocals with a decent amount of harmonies, plenty of open power chords, lots of upbeat palm-muting riffs, etc. The singing sort of has that snotty ring to it that gets on my nerves, and the weird 70's sounding dual guitar harmonies in "Switchblades and Infidelity" are terrible, but aside from that they pretty much stick to the formula and I'm not too bothered by anything. It's just not an overly exciting record. There are some good songs, some shitty songs, and some mediocre songs. They keep everything short and to the point, generally less than three-and-a-half minutes, and the faster and more energetic material like the pop punk-ish "Growing Up" stands on its own better than the rest. When the fuck did "Say Anything" become the obligatory poppy emo reference movie, though? God damnit, are these kids even old enough to remember that movie? One thing that surprises me is that the recording is a little dirtier and muddier than a lot of these bands, and that hurts them. Without that crystal clear and super polished sound a lot of this kind of stuff loses its basic, catchy flare, and at its best that's all this kind of music tends to be good for to be honest. There's no real substance to the music or lyrics, so if it's not catchy and doesn't have that ridiculously perfect sound, what's the point? Here the vocals are too loud, the guitar tone too choppy, and the bass not quite smooth or dominant enough. The rhythm section sounds better than anything else, but without a stronger mix and a much more refined guitar tone things get a little sloppy on occasion. The layout of course consists of photos of the band members in a diner with some girl, and then all of the lyrics are inside. Pretty straightforward. It looks alright. Could be better, could be worse. I'm definitely not into the lyrics at all. They're personal and that's fine, I just think a few decisions could have been made better. "Sat outside my front window, This story's going somewhere, 'He's well hung' and I am hanging up. Well there's a song on the radio that says: 'Let's get this party started... let's get this party started.' What you do on your own time's just fine..." No thanks. This band could be great if they focused on songs like the heavier and more memorable "Moving Pictures", but as much as I'd like to give them credit for referencing "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" in a song title, this disc is fairly bland.
[Uprising]
Running time - 29:36, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Growing Up, Moving Pictures]
Uprising Records - http://www.uprisingrecords.com
