Nasaly vocals? Check. Chunky guitars? Check. Lots of harmonies? Check. On their sophomore effort
Living Well is the Best Revenge, Midtown seems to have everything you need to make a great pop-punk album. The question then remains, do they succeed? The answer, in my humble opinion, is yes. This is a great album chock full of catchy hooks and great music. It may, however, have been overlooked in an era where albums and bands like this were all-too-abundant. But, the Midtown boys manage to make a somewhat original sound in the area of pop-punk, but they don't break the mold too much.
The album starts off strong with "Become What You Hate", a great song with a nice (and stereotypical) guitar intro, complimented by some good vocals and lyrics. This is one of the best tracks on the album. Now, i use the term stereotypical because Midtown's riffs don't exactly break the mold of modern punk. However, the way they write and play their music works for them, and so, stereotypical or not, this album still rocks. This trend continues for "Still Trying", and for "Get it Together". This is another awesome track boasting with harmonized guitars, good lyrics, and a catchy chorus. "Like a Movie" starts off with an acoustic guitar intro but quickly bursts into another loud, fast, punk anthem. This is another good song with another very catchy chorus that you will probably find yourself singing along to more than once; I know I have. After this comes "There's No Going Back", which has some good guitar work and a nice flow to it. Although it isn't a standout track, it's still very good.
The album slows down a little with the almost swing-type ballad "Perfect". This track is unique because it is different in style than the first five. It has more of a plain rock feel than pop-punk, and it features the other vocalist. In addition to this, the song has a nice little guitar solo towards the end. Overall a very good song. "You Should Know" has a sort of poppier feel to it, with the lyrics fitting very well to the music. This song also has a little guitar solo in the middle, which goes along with the feel of the song. After this comes "One Last Time", which is the slowest song on the CD. I don't care for it much, because it's almost
too slow to fit with the punk feel of the album. However, it's a decent track.
After one last time comes "Faulty Foundation"- an amazing song that has to be one of the best on the record. It's a very fast song, and it's got a darker feel to it. This darker feel definitely works for them. This song is very mature, with great vocals and lyrics- "I've got to mediate these faulty sides of you". It also has a few guitar solos, and all is finished in under 2:45. Still, it's a great track. After this comes "In the Songs", which is another great song, starting off with a palm-muted guitar part that works really well in the song. Another catchy chorus and well-written song overall.
The album then ends as strong as it started, with the song "Find Comfort In Yourself", which is definitely the darkest song on the CD. This is a really good song, starting off with a rocking lead guitar part. It's also got some pretty insightful lyrics, and, again, chunky guitars and catchy choruses. The track has another fast, short guitar solo. This is just a fantastic song, showcasing Midtown's musical talent and room to mature.
All in all, Midtown succeeds with flying colors in establishing their own brand of pop-punk to stamp on the musical world. They do play some stereotypical music, with power chords and high-singing abound, but they do it better than most people can. Midtown is just a great band, and this CD definitely shows that. The album has a lot of fast, catchy songs, and enough of them do it so well that they will stick in your head for a while. And, if you take the time to listen to this album, you won't be forgetting Midtown any time soon.
Best tracks on the album:
Become What You Hate
Like a Movie
Perfect
You Should Know
Faulty Foundation
Find Comfort in Yourself
