CD REVIEW | The Friday Night Boys keep it simple
Catchy hooks. Check. Stereotypical adolescent lyrics. Check. Skinny jeans. Check.
With their latest (and first full length) release, "Off The Deep End," The Friday Night Boys seemed to take the formula of the typical pop/punk/rock genre band and created something of their own (think Boys Like Girls meets The Maine).
There is no doubt that this album needed to be released during the summer. The songs are appealing and popish, a perfect formula for car drives with the windows down and the music blasting while trying to get away from reality for a while.
The record starts off with the very melodramatic but no doubt unforgettable song, "Permanent Heartbreak," which has potential to be the band's second single.
From there, the record jumps in and out of poppy sing-a-long songs and attempts at stereotypical ballads about girls and growing up.
The first single of the record, "Stuttering," has the potential for successful radio play if they market the band well enough.
The Fueled By Ramen product (Paramore, Panic! At the Disco, Cobra Starship, The Cab) created something that will a worth a few spins if you just want to listen to something fun and simple.
While The Friday Night Boys seemed to follow the formula to create a successful pop record in the scene today (hooks, cheesy lyrics about girls, skinny jeans, etc.), they forgot to add originality and creativity. Maybe it was by design, but nonetheless this is a record and a band that will ultimately be forgotten unless by chance of being found on the radio.
The best thing about this album is the production. The producers and mixers made sure the lyrics were tight and high pitched at the right moments.
After a while, most of the songs start sounding exactly the same with the same melodramatic lyrics. In "Permanent Heartbreak," the chorus goes, "You set me off and that was my mistake, and all I got was permanent heartbreak, damaged beyond repair, I was, I was much better off before I met you, And you're with him, it pisses me off you're doing A-okay, and all that I've got is permanent heartbreak."
With song titles in "Molly Makeout" and "Stupid Love Letter," it's apparent the band was not looking to make the deepest album ever.
There are just too many bands in the genre that work harder and are more talented for this band to see the success that All Time Low and Boys Like Girls have in the past few years.
The Friday Night Boys have created a simple and fun record, nothing more and nothing less.
Two out of five stars.
lifeline@cm-life.com
