2011 Fave Five

A clean listen through this album trails the impression that a fair amount of effort resulted in the breeziest album of the year. Complexly crafted lyrics compliment swoony slow jams that peak and bottom out lazily throughout the record. Tracks age well and don’t be surprised if you get the guitar picking smoke heavy Blue Lagoon stuck on repeat. Hazy melancholy has never been so much fun.

This pop punk instant classic bleeds vintage Canadian infused Americana and the hooks only get stronger as the record keeps spinning. Songs heavy with boys nights out and girls gone mild haven’t been this sparky since late ‘98 with power chords flowing like a good kegger. If you don’t find yourself chorusing along to Hang Out on a weekly basis it’s most likely because you keep skipping ahead to Trophy Room. Head bops and fist pumps will never get old with jams like these.

It is extremely rare to come across a band that lives to get radical. This album took all of 0:03 seconds of the opening to get tracked on and the onslaught of fuzzy breakdowns simply don’t let up with progressions that will have your body rocking and feet stomping. Easily the most speedy album I have heard in a long time with thrashy tracks like Slo Mo Video and Big Muff gettin’ you shaking every time they get spun. Punks not dead.

This is a brutally honest album chock full of radios rock jams playing off each other like the bad romance it was clearly written about. There are enough sing alongs to keep your head loaded with bouncy tunes for days with highlights like Everyday and Who I’m Supposed To Be. The closing track is crucial wrapping up this solid release with a whole lotta highlights.

I would imagine this album took ages to craft - the complexity of the verses and choruses coupled with one of the most sonically sound vocalist equals a pure mixture begging to be shot through your stereo. Heartbreak has never sounded so potent and aptly titled tracks like Laminated E.T. Animal and The Hangman prove that arena rock and roll is not only alive and well but when done right will etch your subconscious for days, with each listen begging for another to satisfy the fix.