Pure sugar with added intelligence
Todd Rosenthal | Twinsburg, Ohio United States | 07/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't usually write these reviews, but this CD required me to say something about it here. If you like ear-candy power-pop / emo influenced songs that will have you humming the chorus in your head all day, this is the CD for you! Part Click Five, part Simple Plan, this collection of songs has punchy crisp guitar, enjoyable lyrics, and more hooks than the cast of Deadliest Catch (yeah I know, they use cages but I liked how that sounded!). There isn't a filler song in the bunch; even the slow songs have strong merit here. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, so if you are more of a powerpop purist, this may well be a bit over produced for you. If you like tight harmony, funny lyrics, and a catchy chorus in every song, you'll love this CD. There are a few tunes from their EP that I think should have been included here such as Celebrity Life and Highschool as they both show off the guitar player a bit better than these songs do so if you love this one, grab the EP as well."
Outstanding Melodies and Vibe
Cory T. Shaeffer | Pittsburgh | 07/09/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This band has it all. Greeat vocals, including harmony. Excellent instrumentation. Good arrangements and production. Savvy tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The songs range from uptempo ("Permanent Heartbreak," "Stuttering") to slow ballads ("She's Finding Me Out" and "Can't Let Her Get Away" would likely make David Foster proud.) And the melodies don't let up until the last one or two tracks when the album runs out of steam. But make no mistake about it - this band has the goods. As much as bands like White Tie Affair can write catchy songs and deliver them convincingly, this is light years better. There is actual musicianship here, which is rare for this genre, or rare in pop music in general these days. These songs have the hooks and one listen to this and it will reel you in! Pick this up if you want a great summer record that you don't have to sift through to find the good songs. Take this album to the beach, crank it loud, slap on some suntan lotion and enjoy."