Review Summary: Let’s go back in time…
Wide Awake follows in the footsteps of Paramore, though with more post-hardcore energy. There’s also a clear inspiration from metalcore tricks at the time, including throw-down party breakdowns, and varied growls. It all adds up to a melodic, fun time, and while the singer sounds similar to Paramore, the album is much more than the sum of its parts. The youthful energy in the album is addictive and not overbearing in the slightest. There’s a few laugh-out-loud growl moments that don’t match songs’ vibes, but it’s part of the retro, “scene” youth charm.
There’s a lack of variety in the songwriting, and with the band’s inspirations a little too on the nose (Evanescence was surely thought about in the writing, especially considering the darkened piano bits), the music isn’t astoundingly different. It’s also apparent in the riffs. Though the first two tracks have great riffs, the creativity slowly evaporates afterwards. The band try their hand at getting heavier here and there to raise the power, but they mostly end up sounding as typical pop rock meets post-hardcore, with an occasional breakdown. The stamp of uniqueness is not strong, and they sound like a neighbour’s best friend’s favourite band that they personally know (somewhat).
The saving grace here is the performance. The singer sounds very close to Paramore, and we all know the singer of blah blah shreds. The few riffs that are here also shred. There’s a nice bounce to most tracks, with a pursuing, pulsing rhythm; it’s because the music works so well. Some might call out a simple framework, but it’s quite effective, with vocal styling and guitar lines in sound tandem. We may laugh at the dated, goofy 2010 artwork (which is fantastic), but the album itself is overlooked, and was deserving of a larger following. It will perhaps always remain a diamond in the ruff.
