Bomb the Music Industry! is a band that putting a genre on is extremely difficult. Their sound is so different from everything else. With this record, though, they have taken it to the next level. Their sound is way more mature than any of their previous albums. In short, this album is the perfect summer album. Although I consider all of their albums summer albums, this one stands out as one. This is one major step in the right direction.
It all starts out with "Campaign for a Better Next Weekend". It doesn't sound very similar to the summer-ish feel the rest of the album has. The first half of the song consists of mostly piano and vocals. When the backing vocals come in, it is very magical. The second half of the song gets into the more traditional punk rock musicianship; guitar, distortion, driving drums, ect. The first half of the song gives you the idea that this band has matured a drastic amount since their last album. The band certainly has matured, just not as much as the first half of this song makes out. Very cool song to start off with. It gives you an emotion that is quite hard to explain, so I will not attempt to explain it!
The greatness continues in "Vocal Coach". It is an upbeat fun song that has the same feeling that most of all Bomb The Music Industry!'s music. Their is an xylophone, an organ, and a synthesizer playing through the whole song, which makes it sound even more like Bomb The Music Industry other music. Music like this backs up my point of maturity while maintaining the old fun vibe. This song sounds a lot like Elvis Costello I have noticed. The music sounds like early Costello, but his voice also sounds very similar. That is a good thing, by the way.
The song "Everybody That You Love" was released sometime last year and has quickly made me realise how much of love the joyfullness of the band. This one really shows the early chaotic sound they have become known for. It almost sounds like a massive party. The various melodies in this song are extremely catchy. I have been humming them all week. The distortion on the guitar is so overwhelming, it is fantastic.
"Sponge Board/ Baby Waves" is just a little interlude added for extra affect and it gives it very nicely. It just feels like a quick conclusion to "Everybody That You Love".
The next song is "The Shit That You Hate". It starts out acoustic. Around the halfway point is where drums and distorted guitars come in. This is a cool song. It is just about six minutes long which makes it the longest track on the record. The song kind of reminds me of their song "Get Warmer" from the album of the same name. This is pretty epic tune.
After that comes "Hurricane Waves". This is a very cool track. If The Beach Boys were a few punk kids, this would most likely be the result. This song is the definitive summer track on this album. I can imagine this song becoming a song that reminds me of summer. Matter of fact, it already does! This is exactly what I was talking about when I said this is a summer album. Perfect summer track. I almost consider it the main track of the album because it sums up the album so perfectly.
"Sick, Later." is another FANTASTIC song. The catchiest song of the album. This song has been stuck in my head for the whole entire week. The main riff in the song is a bit difficult to get behind, but after four or five listens, you will start to understand it a bit more. And when you do understand it, I garuntee, it will be stuck in your head. The confusion I had with the main riff faded quickly, and I honestly hadn't thought of it that way again. The last verse in the song with the riff played on the synth confirms my love for this song. This is one of the bests they have ever released.
"Why, Oh Why, Oh Why (Oh Oh Oh Oh)" is the next song. This is another very happy tune. From the start it sounds like something Springsteen would release, but when you get into the verse you realize this is another song that sounds identical to Elvis Costello. The voice sounds just like him. Almost sounds like he is trying to sound like him in a few parts. And, again, that is not a bad thing. It just means he draws inspiration from good places, that is a good thing!
"Savers" comes next. This one has a slightly slower tempo than the rest of the songs. It is not very slow, just enough to be noticed. I realize I have made a lot of comparisons in this review, but I have just one more. This song could easily be a Weezer song. The crunch in the guitar tone is very Weezer-like. The melody and solo are also very Weezer-like. The guitar tone is the highlight of this song. It is very distorted and it has a great sound.
"Savers" leads perfectly into the epic song "Can't Complain". This is a fantastic uplifting song. The acoustic guitar is the base of the song, but there is much more than that. There is electric guitar, drums, xylophone, and Casey Lee (of the fantastic band Fake Problems) plays the pedal steel guitar which adds a lot. It is a song about loving life and realising that what you have is enough to be happy. Everything about this song makes me happy.
Then comes "Everybody That Loves You". This brings back the fast tempo to the album. Musicly and lyrically, this song seems like it acts as sequel to "Sick, Later.". This song has some catchy lead guitar riffs too. This song sounds more like their older stuff. It is very very good, catchy, and fun. And it leads perfectly into the next song.
"'Sunny Place/Shady People" is another interlude. This is a very synth-heavy track also. To me, this is just the introduction to "Felt Just Like Vacation" (intro to the end of the album). The last part of the song sings the same melody as the next song, so that backs my observation up. It is pretty cool. The title of the song is very witty too, in my opinion.
It ends with "Felt Just Like Vacation". A very fast-tempo song. The solo toward the middle of the song sounds like it came straight from an old nintendo game. I thought that was very cool. This song has some of the most epic stuff Bomb The Music Industry has done yet. The huge outro to this song is mesmorizing and closes the album PERFECTLY while the synth plays the main piano riff of "Campaign". Story book endings at their best.
This is a great way to spend a summer, with this album on repeat. I could listen to it over and over again and it will still manage to make me very happy. The album really works as a whole. You can't really just take certain songs, it is the album. The album should be listened to all together for the full affect. The album has guest contributions from members of Fake Problems, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and much more. The album works perfectly as a summer album. Although the inspiration is a little too obvious, it doesn't take away from the greatness of the album. This is a very easy listen and I could picture me listening to this album for a long time!
Highlights : Campaign for a Better Next Weekend, Hurricane Waves, Sick, Later, Can't Complain, Felt Just Like Vacation
Music : 10 (Fun, summer music)
Lyrics : 10 (Witty and all around great.)
Artwork : 9 (fits the summer theme perfectly)
Overall : 10
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PS. There is a hidden track which is also amazing, but I don't believe hidden tracks are actually part of the album, so I didn't review it. But if you check the album out, make sure to listen to it!
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