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Contributor
Reviews 26
Soundoffs 30
News Articles 2
Band Edits + Tags 3
Album Edits 17
Album Ratings 134
Objectivity 59%
Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 859
| Set It Off Ranked Worst to Best
Seeing them Wednesday, and I've been prepping myself by listening to all of their albums (as listed on Apple Music)
Rose colored middle school-era glasses are off, let's see how the albums stack up against one another | | 6 |  | Set It Off
Upside Down
Ugh, what happened here? Coming off of a couple really strong albums, Set It Off took a full nosedive into pop land, with very mixed results. I think every Set It Off album has a couple bangers, and this one is no different, but most of those bangers are situated in the first few tracks, before everything becomes either super same-y or unbearably cheesy (Diamond Girl, Upside Down, looking right at you). I could talk more about this album, but I already wrote a full review of it, so read that instead. | | 5 |  | Set It Off
Midnight
Killer in the Mirror being the lead single for this album should be considered false advertising. I remember being so excited to hear Set It Off going back to their darker roots, only for the rest of the album to wallow once more in that middling pop rock. Moments of glory do shine here and there, the opening three tracks are again super solid, Midnight Thoughts and Criminal Minds are good back half songs, and the songwriting is a lot tighter overall, which elevates it above Upside Down.
But the rest of the album again ranges from forgettable (For You Forever, Raise No Fool) to laughably cringe thanks to Cody's worst lyrics to date (Dancing With The Devil's intro is especially bad in this regard, same with Go To Bed Angry). There's potential here, but it's all squandered. | | 4 |  | Set It Off
Horrible Kids
Technically an EP, but Apple Music lists it as an album, so fuck it. As a debut, it's pretty damn solid, with some great tunes like the title track and Breathe In, Breathe Out. However, most of the album doesn't take full advantage of its orchestral pop punk trappings, and Cody's voice is nowhere near as strong as it'll become on the later albums. I don't have much to say about this one, it just sorta comes and goes. | | 3 |  | Set It Off
Elsewhere
I did not expect to like this one as much as I did when I first heard it. If you asked me what Set It Off going full pop rock should sound like, I'd point to this album each and every god damn time. Projector, Skeleton, and Why Do I are standouts, with the former quickly making its way into my top 10 Set It Off songs for just being an all around fun time. It merges the pop rock sound of albums past with the biting criticism and venom we expect from Cody Carson's lyrics, and it results in an album that Set It Off should've made 6 years ago. Good shit, even if it's insanely outclassed by the 5 singles they've released since then.
Speaking of which, the singles ranking:
5. Win Win - Heavily dependent on how much you enjoy Scene Queen. I enjoy her, so the fact that this is the worst single says a lot about their quality
4. Evil People
3. Fake Ass Friends - Could've been the best if it wasn't so short
2. Parasite
1. Punching Bag - Never been more excited to see a band go back to basics | | 2 |  | Set It Off
Duality
If you were a middle school emo circa the mid-2010s, chances are you remember Duality in one way or another, even if it was through goofy AMVs. Some of their best cuts are on here, from Wolf in Sheep's Clothing to The Haunting to Why Worry to even Bleak December!
The only downside is that it's mired by a lot of tracks that come and go, and one of the weaker closers to a Set It Off album, saved only by some genuinely good callbacks to the album's previous songs at the end. The highs of this album are insanely high though, and I hope to god I hear The Haunting when I see them on Wednesday please for the love of god. | | 1 |  | Set It Off
Cinematics
Could it be anything else? This has always been Set It Off's best by a country mile, mostly because it doesn't peak in the first couple tracks. Nightmare and Swan Song are a fantastic opening one-two, but the back half of the album has plenty of meat on its bones too, from Dream Catcher to the heartrending Dad's Song, to my favorite Set It Off track of all time, I'd Rather Drown, to the enthralling Grand Finale. A lot of this album is held up by the orchestral arrangements working in tandem with the guitars and bass, a huge improvement from Ordinary Kids.
The only real crime is that the second best track on here, Partners in Crime, is relegated to the Expanded Edition. I'd love to see that one live, but I highly doubt they'll play it. | |
AnimalForce1
03.11.24 | I've never seen a band with a more parabolic trajectory. They started off so strong, then dipped into pop boredom, only to surge right the fuck back with those new singles | Gameofmetal
03.11.24 | kind of embarrassed to have liked this band back in the day so im afraid to even revisit cinematics but it was very charming at the time | AnimalForce1
03.11.24 | Nah, Cinematics still slaps six ways from Sunday. There's no shame in liking some good cheesy pop punk | cycosynner
03.11.24 | My partner really digs this band. I just don't see it. | AnimalForce1
03.12.24 | They’re just fun standard pop punk with a damn good vocalist. Objectively, they shouldn’t be the best, but something about them just speaks to me |
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