Review Summary: Catchy, addictive-as-crack, and hopelessly generic. Recipe for sucess!
Pop-Punk is kinda touchy. I could go all out and say it all sounds the bloody same to me, but I suppose there are some bands better than others. I think deep down, everyone should have at least one guilty pleasure band from this scene. One of mine would happen to be
A Change of Pace. Why? Well I suppose breaking down the positives and negatives of a record would be the whole point of a review, so here goes.
This album is neither outstanding for musicianship, skill, or talent. But what’s good about it is execution. When you put it on, it just sounds like plain old rock. The band has departed from the harsher punk/screamo ideas in their previous albums, and seem to be content with just releasing a catchy good ol’ poppish fallback. Many tracks on this album are damn near anthems. Like many bands, catchy choruses are what really bring you in. There’s arena-style riffs, and the guitars just hold down the fort for a nice feeling. A positive side to this album is the guitars definitely create a mood. The drums… well… 4/4. No, that’s not a score. That is simply referring to the fact that they’re there, doing simple beats, holding rhythm, and I suppose that means they’re doing their job. Which I can’t call inefficient. A nice fill once and a while would be appreciated, though. Bass is hiding behind the guitars, and isn’t really detectable. Is it ever? The vocals are heavily processed at points, but the singers voice (although probably annoying to some) is a definite plus, as this album is primarily vocal driven. This brings me to a good point about this album. The production is incredible. Everything is perfectly mixed, toned, etc etc. I suppose that’s what’s expected of albums, but this one really made me realize someone out there is doing their job well. Gold star.
Many of these songs are catchy, and they seem to fall into a few categories. Rockish, Punkish, and Please-get-the-hell-out-of-my-head. The songs are catchy, partially memorable, and make you really want to chant along. While this album is great to put on in the car, it’s not something to put in your best record collection. In short, a nice pop-rock-punk-addictive-as-crack CD.
Positives
Great production
Catchy
Memorable songs
Negatives
Generic
Singers voice can be a turn off
Not overly varied