Classic Crime: Vagabonds

This Seattle punk-rock outfit should be making more waves than they have to date.  The Classic Crime have crafted two fantastic studio albums and one splendid acoustic EP that should make even Fall Out Boy put on a learning cap from time to time.  These guys are formula-driven writers, but you couldn’t fault them for it when the product is solid and very catchy music that tackles several facets of music.  On their last release, The Silver Cord, Classic Crime offered a very stellar set of songs that made the record one of the best punk-rock efforts of 2008.  Here we are in 2010, and the band brings us Vagabonds.

Musically, there are some instant differences that can be found right out of the gate.  Vagabonds doesn’t hit as heavy as The Silver Cord, nor does it really hit home with the lyrics like its predecessor.  It is, instead, a more basic-themed album that talks more about positivity in perspective.  The production value is also slightly shifted.  The sound hasn’t changed, though, and while Vagabonds has some large shoes to fill by following The Silver Cord, it certainly won’t leave any listener high and dry.

This being a Classic Crime album, there are plenty of hooks and fun moments all over the record.  Most notably, the first single “Solar Powered Life” is an ode to old-school punk and classic rock songwriting.  It’s incredibly contagious, yet it leaves you wanting more with it’s short 2-plus minute lifetime.  Other album winners include the smiley “Four Chords” and the earnest “Cheap Shot”.  “The Happy Nihilist” will come off as one of the big payoffs for digging past the first few tracks in this album, though.  It’s the most complete work on Vagabonds and is a treat to listen to.  Should you be a completionist, “Different Now” will also reward you for sticking through some of the filler tracks.

While the Classic Crime don’t quite live up to The Silver Cord‘s 10-mile high shadow, Vagabonds is no suck-out.  In fact, it delivers in a slightly different heart than the Cord did in a pleasing manner.  But if you had to pick the best of, Cord wins without a second thought.  Fans of Classic Crime have yet to be disappointed, and hopefully that continues to be the trend.  This band is truly talented, writing big hooks with great riffs that keep their listeners spinning their records years after they were purchased.  That is the mark by which many will define a truly great band.

Grade: B

Breaking Benjamin: Dear Agony

Breaking Benjamin finally broke through the mainstream mud and stood out on their last release, Phobia, and captured some real chart action and record sales.  “Breath” is perhaps their best track written, which charted at #84 on Billboard’s top 100 (a hard chart for hard rock acts to move up on).  Since then, Breaking Benjamin decided to bring back producer David Bendeth from Phobia and try the team out for another round of heavy hitting rock.  The result is a little more fine-combed than you might have expected.  Dear Agony attempts to continue the trend of the band making big radio waves.  The result?  Success.  The album’s loaded first single, “I Will Not Bow”, hit #40 on the Hot 100 chart and thus have ushered in some great initial album sales for the group.  And rightfully so.  “I Will Not Bow” is an infectious front runner for Dear Agony that will easily induce head bangings and fist pumpings galore.  It’s definitely one of the bright spots on this latest go-round.

Listening to the first half of this album you’d expect that it’d be a pretty solid and rock-steady album that is destined for continued big sales and radio spots.  But while you get awesome tracks that really move such as the album opener “Fade Away” and “Crawl”, the later half doesn’t come off quite as energetic and star-like.  That said, it doesn’t flop, but it can be hard to start off an album with back-to-back-to-back winners and suddenly cut away from the high energy and expect to keep that strong momentum.  “Anthem of the Angels” is a big moment that will keep listeners interested to press on to the end.  It’s a strings-loaded cut that really draws in more atmospheric moments that truly bring distinction between verses and the chorus.  Listeners will want to take a moment to check in to “Lights Out” and “What Lies Beneath”.

There’s plenty to be excited about here.  But you may have envisioned an even more well-rounded effort following Phobia.  Breaking Benjamin stay in safe waters here, blending a mix of their more compressed and smoothed-out sound from We Are Not Alone and touching on the grit of Phobia.  But what they’ll have to decide is whether they’ll want to write for the masses or for the heavy-minded.  Maybe they can capture both, but where many bands seem to struggle are the middle.  It’s hard to pull off both, finding that perfect balance between heavy and catchy and keeping fans of both styles.  This band can definitely do it, and at times they pull it off.  But I think we all hope for something truly memorable.  Dear Agony is more expected than innovating.  If you love what’s come so far and just want more, look no further.  If you’re hoping for growth and new direction to start taking shape, you’ll have to wait at least a little bit longer.

Grade: 83/100 (B)

Muse: The Resistance

Queen owned the 80s with their anthemic rock that carried the high calibur vocal and instrumental arrangements that could be described as nothing less than “epic”.  Today, we have Muse.  The alt-rock outfit that has stormed the shores of America to bring us the new and improved Queen.  It comes in the form of digitized rock, wild piano accompaniments,  and orchestral backing.  Muse break loose their radio-ready aim and focus more on their craft and music making skills.  There are hooks that will keep you interested from start to end, but it all wraps up with a three part series titled “Exogenisis” which can be described as nothing less than beautiful.  On the more track-by-track side of things, many will have already been exposed to “Uprising”, the first single off the album.  The track acts as one of the most accessible moments of the album and has real radio potential.  With a simplistic dance drum beat and fluid progression, “Uprising” sets the stage for the first half of the album: clever, consistent, and never dull.  It’s like every track has a story arc that depicts some kind of struggle, at least music wise.

“Resistance” carries the torch as the second track and opens the wide-instrument arrangement side of Muse.  On a side note: did anyone else get the feeling like they were hearing part of the Goonies soundtrack?  The opening scene’s music holds some similarities that strike the nostalgia button every time!  Muse hit their most aggressive moment on “Unnatural Selection”, as if it was a continuation of the thought that lead to the monster hit “Knights of Cydonia” from Black Holes and Revelations.  And actually, that’s basically what this album feels like.  Perhaps closing Black Holes with “Knights of Cydonia” was a foreshadow of what was to come.  Perhaps not, but it would have been awesome.  All that to say that this is perhaps one of the better written albums of the recent years, and likely a standout album for 2009.  It’s a must buy for Muse fans, and dips both in the mainstream appeal of Muse’s more recent endeavors and their artistic approach of their earlier work.

Score: 90 (A-)

Pillar: Confessions

With a new drummer and bassist joining the hard-rock crew, Pillar are out to reach the higher expectations that have been set upon them.  Confessions, they’re 2009 release, is a mix of anthemic hard-rock and clever melodic moments.  The album as a whole is solid and in some ways explores new corners of what otherwise would be familiar territory.  Confessions in no way breaks from the old.  It’s not #1 calibur either.  But what this album does seem to do is prove yet again that Pillar can stand above the norm and deliver pleasing results to long-time fans and those interested in hearing what they have to offer.

The most interesting moment comes on “Shine”, a remake of the big hit of the 90s by Collective Soul.  It’s a well done track, but you get the sense that it could have been explosive with a more aggressive vocal performance (and following the original song’s melody through the chorus).  But that’s for the “explosive” reaction.  The track otherwise is quite good and will probably bring a smile to those old enough to remember and love the original.  In other areas, “Fire On The Inside” and “Call To Action” bring the big rock moments.  “Call To Action” highlights the bass guitar, bringing a somewhat Muse-like influence to the song in a subtle, yet very pleasing manor.  The song doesn’t get quite as predictable as Pillar’s earlier hit “Frontline” either, making for a higher replayability factor.  That’s actually a great way to describe this album: high replayability.

If you’re hoping for new ground to be broken, you’re not going to be as satisfied.  “Will You Be There” serves as a strong and pleasant break from the noise and keeps things simple, before deliverying more heavy hitters to close the album.  “You Are Not The End” actually feels like one of the album’s best moments with a catchy chorus that will merit sing-a-long moments (though most of us probably can’t muster a scream that will sound as good).  No, this isn’t new territory for Pillar.  But it is another reminder that they’ve got this on lockdown.  But I would argue the point that if they want to stay ahead of the competition and in our playlists, there does need to be some kind of transition or new stylistic implementation in future records.  Whether they get heavier, start using more electronic elements, or whatever else could be thrown in to get outside of the box… something needs to happen sooner rather than later, otherwise this band could quickly have their flame that has been fireproof up to this moment extinguished.

Grade: 84 (B)

My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade

Emo-Punk/Rock has been quietly gaining momentum in the hearts of young teenagers around the world for the last half decade.  It started with acts such as AFI and H.I.M. using emo elements in punk-rock then adding harder edged production to the mix, taking the bleeding hearts from groups like Dashboard Confessional and using those heartbreak songs to create a powerful push from mushy to metallic.  My Chemical Romance burst on to the scene with their smash hit “I’m Not Okay” in 2005 off their debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.  With optimistic reviews and a lot of radio play, teenagers and young adults alike awaited the sophomore release that would come just a year and a half later.  Welcome to the Black Parade.

It doesn’t take long to recognize that this group have talent.  ”Dead!”, the first single and the follow up to the album’s intro track, is an exclamation mark on the word “energetic”.  Perhaps one of the best punk songs ever written, “Dead!” launches The Black Parade with the most excitement I’ve ever encountered on an album and makes for the album’s best track.  But that’s not to say that the rest of The Black Parade is heavily shadowed by such an explosive start.  You’ll find that, as you progress through this epic project, that other jewels exist.  ”The Sharpest Lives” benefits from some slick guitar production and is definitely another high energy moment on the album.  The title track, “Welcome To The Black Parade”, channels the spirit of Queen with more purity than I’ve ever encountered.  The slow-marching build and song structure finds comparison to the supergroups massive hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Are The Champions”.  The bouncy “Mama” is an instant highlight here with its super fun verses, which find singer Gerard Way having a grim revelation with his mother, saying “Mama, we all go to Hell… Mama, we’re all gonna die”.  ”Teenagers” and “Famous Last Word” are other noteworthy tracks that continue the momentum of a great and likely classic punk-rock album.  ”Teenagers” features a clever old-school 12-bar-blues guitar riff layered under a modern rock band feel which continues to show this band has talent when it comes to writing fun songs.

‘Nuff said, this album rocks.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a better Punk-Rock offering anywhere.

Grade: 95 (A)

Mutemath: Armistice

After “Typical” hit big from Mutemath’s self-titled debut album, earning a downloadable content spot on Rock Band, and a sweet remake of the Transformers theme for Michael Bay’s blockbuster reinvention, Mutemath have a large spotlight to step back into with a follow up.  What gets put forth is Armistice, an artistic and well-thought collection of music that carries on the Mutemath sound in new vehicles.  There’s a touch more production used this time around, adding more electronic edges here and there.  But what Armistice lacks is a standout single that will chart them high like “Typical” did.  The album as a whole is strong and doesn’t disappoint.  Yet, it just isn’t always as friendly to listeners looking for something poppy and upbeat.  ”Spotlight” gets you about as close as you’ll ever be on Armistice to radio-domination.  That isn’t to say that the album is left without any hook or radio potential.  It’s just that there isn’t as much of it being flashed forward for listeners to grab on to.  The hooks are subtle.  You’ll find more appreciation for the music than accessibility, and that’s really just fine.

There’s a lot of class being injected into these songs.  Check out “Pins and Needles”, where Mutemath fuse classic jazz with ambient electronica.  It’s genius.  Mutemath also bring a dance number to the table with “Goodbye”, a dance-rock tribute to a popular trend in alternative-punk bands these days.  And “Burden” finds a sweet lyrical and musical groove that quietly transitions into a very subtle-yet-explosive chorus that wraps up the album quite nicely.  Armistice is essentially an early experimentation of the band’s established sound.  There’s nothing copycat here, nothing unoriginal.  There just isn’t a big song to push this radio through the millions upon millions of minds this band is capable of reaching.  Mutemath make a successful sophomore release with Armistice, but while it’s all very interesting and usually well crafted music, it’d be nice to see them to write a top 40-potential single the next time around.  This band is capable of doing so.  Mutemath could be the next big thing if they keep their heads on them and they find the right producer that keeps them away from the copycat phase that so many bands are in right now.

Grade: 83 (B)

Thousand Foot Krutch: Welcome To The Masquerade

TFK started to head in a little more accessible direction with their previous release (The Flame In All of Us), shedding some of their heavy-funk feel and pressing for pop and alternative rock.  While there wasn’t a complete transformation into something entirely different, it might have left fans a little uneasy.  After-all, Thousand Foot Krutch are a hard rock band that are known for the super-hook laced with the ability to move your body to infectious instrumental work.  TFK have slowed down on all the radio-rock this time around, bringing a little bit of the luster from the glory days with them that made Phenomenon such a breakout hit.  This is made very clear early on in Welcome To The Masquerade, their fifth major-label studio album (sixth release overall), with song such as the title track and “Fire It Up” or “Bring Me To Life” all carrying a heavy feel to them.  ”Fire It Up” is probably one of TFK’s best tracks to date that carries a lot of breakout potential and is likely to see some promotion through networks like ESPN, Fox Sports, or movie soundtracks featuring sports/racing.

So it’s clear that TFK are still trying to carry the rocker-persona.  It does suit them best.  The only areas that ever get a little boring or dull are the ballads.  While TFK can craft a good slow song, they seem to be a little too straight forward or predictable with the songwriting side of things.  These songs are too generic.   “Watching Over Me” and “Forward Motion” are good examples of this.  But not to worry, as “Look Away” and the album closer “Already Home” save the day with a much more authentic, heart-felt approach that doesn’t feel forced like the aforementioned.  So while they sometimes stumble over a dull moment or two, TFK seem to steer clear of derailing altogether and offer up a very decent record.  ”Outta Control” and “Smack Down” come toward the end of the record, the later offering the traditional TFK “rock or die” anthem that we’ve seen on previous records (see “Bounce”, “Move”, “Inhuman”).  But while it’s predictable to find this track later in the album, as others like it have found, it’s a fairly solid offering which keeps things fun, even if the line “get ready for the smack down” might seem a little cheesy to some.

This is almost a return to formula for TFK.  The guitars are big, heavy, but not too heavy.  The drumming is solid and groovy, never getting flashy, leaving lots of room for the songs to have equal instrumental force.  It’s all smartly created and offer great examples of how to produce a record, giving every band member their due.  But the real question comes at the end of the record, and that is: where do they go from here?  Could TFK unleash a full-force heavy rock album and set a new trend?  Or are they going to ultimately buy into the more accessible approach and keep their tracks on modern Christian rock radio stations by keeping it lighter?  It’s clear that they’re at their best when things go to 11, so this one hopes TFK find their stride in the heavier side of things for the future.  You have to also wonder how much gas is left in the band’s tank?  I foresee a musical change in the band’s future.

Grade: 83 (B)

Owl City: Ocean Eyes

Fans of the overnight sensation Hellogoodbye and Death Cab for Cutie’s side project Postal Service have likely come across Owl City, a charming and light synth-pop group that loves to channel the feel-good vibes.  Their 2009 project Ocean Eyes continues to channel that light-hearted feeling in the lyrics and instrumentals.  While the album lacks some in creating depth, the surface-layer writing is good enough that it should keep most listeners from noticing.  It’s cutesy and sometimes clever, but rarely differed.  It’s like Owl City just decided to pick a couple instrumental progressions and slightly modify them throughout the fourteen tracks.  Still, there’s so much here that is fun that you don’t exactly notice the similarities, which really surprises.

“Hello Seattle”, the album’s third track, has the singer playfully greeting the pacific-northwest city continually in different forms, chanting things like “Hello Seattle, I am a manteray / Deep beneathe the blue waves / Ill crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound / And construct a summer home”.  While it may not be obvious for non-residents of the area, the song sort of describes the city and it’s environment in very creative ways.  For the most part, Owl City to bring about lots of creativity through their music which keeps things from running dull, which seems to be a dangerous possibility for electronic-pop groups.  Another worthy highlight comes with “On The Wing”.  The song subtly channels Postal Service in its backing instrumental tracks and sings a more accessible melody.  “The Saltwater Room” and “The Bird and the Worm” mark two acoustic guitar-driven tracks that do well to mix things up and definitely do lots to flash the light-hearted charm that Owl City are known for.

It’s not really a breakout album for the group, but Owl City’s Ocean Eyes doesn’t get boring or stray from ear-pleasing progressions that several other groups in the same genre category tend to favor.  But Ocean Eyes will definitely satiate the appetite for fun pop music with the electronica edge.  And if you aren’t a stickler for novelty album efforts, Owl City might find a special place in your album collection.  It’s where you can turn when the sun is shining and you want to find something that fits the mood.

Grade: 81 (B-)

Project 86: Picket Fence Cartel

On their seventh studio album to date, Picket Fence Cartel, Project 86 are continuing to find new facets to express their messages of urgency to the unsaved as well as Satan himself.  The album opener “Destroyer” is a very powerful foreshadowing of Satan’s coming loss over the world and the ending of the war between good and evil.  Andrew Schwab puts together some very frighteningly good lyrics together, declaring “The plagues you unleashed, every vice that you fed /Shall be visited here tenfold on your head”.  Perhaps the greatest segment of the song comes in the last verse, when Schwab again warns the devil himself, “Witness the pain, let it rain on the beast / For the serpent is slain in a blaze of defeat”.  You can definitely sense that Project 86 are declaring a victory over the struggle against Satan and his attempts to destroy God’s people.

“Destroyer” sits on par with previous album openers like “Sincerely, Ichabod” and “The Spy Hunter” both lyrically and musically.  And this time around, Project 86 seem more intent on expressing their faith, which hasn’t been so noticeable on previous records.  Other examples come on tracks such as “The Spectacle of Fearsome Acts”, where references to the Garden of Eden and king David are weaved into warnings of living life right and staying away from people, places, and things that would cause you to be tempted into a lesser life of sin and destruction.  From start to end, Project 86 lay a heavy heart down for listeners to identify and be encouraged with.

For fans of Project’s last effort, Rival Factions, you might ask if they continue their trend of synths being laid over their signature metal-core sound.  The answer is: sort of.  You’ll find more evidence of their more inventive direction on “Dark Angel Dragnet”, one of the albums strongest offerings through an infectious & hook-riden chorus.  Things are a little more consistently heavy throughout the album as well.  “Cold and Calculated”, “A John Hancock with the Safety Off”, and “Two Glass Eyes” bring some pretty heavy moments to the album that were only spotty on Rival Factions and …And The Rest Will Follo.  It will delight long time fans to see the more aggressive album approach back in circulation as well as please newer fans to experience such well-crafted heavy material.

It doesn’t quite rank up there with Truthless Heroes as Project 86′s #1 album offering (lets face it, Truthless Heroes was a milestone for metal-core and simply outstanding, both for how young the band was, and how solid and catchy it is).  But make no mistake, Picket Fence Cartel will keep both old and new fans more than satisfied.  These guys truly are one of the most talented and greatest metal bands in the business.  It’s a shame they’ve been so poorly treated by mainstream record labels, otherwise these guys would probably be found in a lot more record collections.  They have yet to make a bad record, or even a so-so record.  While they may not have a whole lot of steam left in the engine to keep the quality level of content for too many more albums, it’s hard to think that a band this inventive can’t put out a couple more worthy efforts before throwing in the towel.  7 albums… that’s something to be proud of.

Grade: 90 (A-)

Danger Radio: Used And Abused

In an era where teenie-boppers like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers are top dogs, garnering serious album sales and gaining more and more spotlight; it’s easy to see how bands like Danger Radio are getting more noticed.  But while these groove-rockers do have a tendancy to favor the sounds for high school students, they do have a charm and irresistable hook that will force the words of radio ready tunes like Used and Abused‘s leadoff single “One More Chance” right out of your mouth.  If you aren’t familiar with Danger Radio, think Maroon 5 ten years younger with the same amount of crafty songwriting but without the sensuality, making Danger Radio parent-approved.  Used and Abused follows the band’s EP Punch Your Lights Out, which featured a promising look into this young band’s future.  But while Punch Your Lights Out was a little more scattered and less polished, Used and Abused is a strong studio effort that brings a lot of winning tracks to the table.  Of the fair handful of bright spots, “Slow Dance With A Stranger” seems to capture the spotlight the most, focusing on lead singer Andrew de Torres’ encounters with girls and how one completely unknown to him is driving him up the wall.

While it may be a popular topic, Torres touches on his encounters with girls throughout the album.  Such evidence is found on “Kiss and Tell”, where de Torres sings about ignoring the perhaps golden advice his friends are giving him (“the boys tell me to be careful/girls can’t save you, you’re in trouble/never did listen that well”).  The same track also showcases some of the clever instrumental thoughts on the album with a real salsa breakdown (though it’s brief).  Danger Radio hits a strong energetic spot later in the album on “Alive For The First Time”, perhaps the albums most adrenaline fueled cut.

Danger Radio aren’t likely to win over the hearts of America and see huge record sales.  But their light hearted girl-inspired themes and good hooks will most certainly get some attention.  Here’s a band that deserves a lot more credit and attention than what’s been given thus far.  Only topping out at the #198 spot on the Billboard 200 is most certainly well under where this album deserves to be.

Grade: 85 (B)