Review Summary: Don't fear the label.
I am a Front Bottoms fan. That puts me in the category of people invested in the development of this band’s sound as they grow and change and like many others I was scared to death of their signing to the Fueled By Ramen label. Nevertheless, I decided that I would only listen to one single by the band before listening to this album in order to go into it as unbiased as possible.
Unfortunately the single that I chose to listen to was “HELP.” Had I decided to listen to “Cough It Out” or “West Virginia” I might have been okay going into this, but no, I had to choose what is hands down the worst song ever recorded by the band. Yes, it is that bad. “HELP” is overproduced indie-rock by the numbers with none of their usual clever lyrics, none of their usual spunky style. It features the most wretched of choruses, a repetitive yelling of "help!" over and over. This whole song is clearly just a bid at getting some mainstream radio play and that had me on edge and incredibly worried about the rest of Back On Top’s sound.
I can happily report that the rest of the album is actually a progression of their previous sound rather than a complete shift. While still much more mainstream and poppy in sound than the rest of their discography it is an enjoyable growth. Rather than straight depressing lyrics they’ve moved into melancholy, which you may josh at but it’s a subtle change that really fixes the feel of the band. Tracks like “Summer Shandy” bring out a quirky Weezer-esque feel that can get anyone grooving to the silly chorus about “bad boy blues, baby.” In fact, a lot of these songs (special mention to “Laugh Till I Cry”) bring out that vibe. These are songs to sing along to, to dance to, to live and have fun with.
The unhappiness still exists, of course. “Historic Cemetery” is at the center of this album and contains all the heart that this band has ever shown. Eccentric lyrics, acoustic guitar, recorded conversations, and some stellar keyboard work creates a mood rather unlike the rest of the album that comes across as much more somber than any of their other material purely because it is surrounded by all these happy songs. The ending to the song features a verse from rapper GDP who they previously released a split EP with. I can already see you freaking out about a rap verse on a track by the Front Bottoms - but don’t worry, it only adds to the song. In fact, it’s honestly one of the best moments on any track by the group.
Reflecting on this album and even the band as a whole I can only think of the words on “Be Nice to Me” from their very first LP: “You say I’m changing / Sorry I didn’t know I had to stay the same.” Almost everyone fears change, including myself, but don’t worry, the Front Bottoms changed for the better. Their old work is always there for us to enjoy in our moments of sadness and it would be deceitful for them to try and continue those themes with their current success. They’re having fun these days and this album clearly encapsulates that. So get caught up in the album. Have fun.
