Four Year Strong - In Some Way, Shape Or Form

First of all I have to thank Andy for keeping this blog alive while I struggle with the worst writer's block ever. I should probably bake him a cake or something.
On a brighter note: I'll see letlive. tomorrow and I'll have an interview with Night Verses so you can expect a long concert review, blurry pics and my weird accent. If you'll see me there, don't hesitate to say hi! In the meantime you can read about some "hairy hillbillies from Massachusetts".

by Andy

My first thought about the last recent album by Four Year Strong was that it has a pretty cool album cover showing a bunch of things, all in “some way, shape or form”. I was highly excited for the album, since 2009's “Enemy Of The World” was such a huge deal in the melodic hardcore scene. The album “In Some Way Shape Or Form” was released in November 2011 and is the most recent album of the hairy hillbillies from Massachusetts. God, I love their beards.

First of all, the sound is much different than in the previous albums “Rise Or Die Trying” and “Enemy Of The World”. Before they started working on their new album, the band announced the departure of keyboarder Josh Lyford and that the album would have no synthesizers in it. The guys kept word - there are truely no synthesizers in the album, which affected the record to have a stronger “hard rock” side. It's understandable that they wanted to develop their style in a more mature way, but I liked the old style slightly more.
Furthermore, the drums are kinda weak if you compare them to the drums in “Enemy Of The World”. I don't know why they did this, if they wanted to get a more mature sound it would have been better to add some kick-ass-doublebass drums. Drums are mostly overrated in music scene, look for example at Avenged Sevenfolds new album. Lame Drums really cut the quality of an album.
What and how Dan and Allen are singing in “Some Way, Shape Or Form” is just heaven. Four Year Strong always had and still have great lyrics touching your heart. They're writing about life, bad and good things happening and feelings everyone has. Maybe it's just me but I also think their voices improved due to all the touring in the last years.
The songs on the record are slower, the shocking breakdowns are less, the riffs are not as freaky as in previous pieces. They are more radio-rock like and even some fans started to call the band “Foo Years Strong” (You know the Foo Fighters, right?).
Nevertheless I think the album is a piece of decent music, the songs “Just Drive” and “The Middle” even made it in my list of favorite FYS songs. I always prefered Four Year Strong over A Day To Remember, so that pretty much says it all about the quality of the guys in lumberjack shirts.
God, I love those beards.

Rating: 7/10

Songs for listening: The Middle, Just Drive

For folks who like: A Day To Remember, The Story So Far

Zebrahead - Call Your Friends

by Andy

Zebrahead's new album came out 4 weeks ago. Since I put it in my car it was kind of stuck in the car stereo, so I had to listen to it. Driving without music is too boring, so what else could I do?

The album kicks off with a classic speed up song. “Sirens” is the perfect intro song for the album. Just after this first impression I already wanted to make love with the album. But it was stuck in my stereo! And...ehm...back to business.
The next 2 songs do have amazing titles for sure: "I'm Just Here For The Free Beer” and “With Friends Like These, Who Needs Herpes?“ are also very good pieces, you've got to listen to the intro of the second one, it's the best intro of the album and Zebrahead are gods in making intros.
“Call your Friends”, the title song of the album, is a pure party song. It's perfect for drinking games (Jesus, I really approve of that) and has a funny music video featuring 2 porn stars. At least that's how they look.
“Public Enemy Number One” is one of my favorite songs of “Call your Friends”. It's a little bit harder than the other songs. Again the intro is just perfect and the guitar riffs could easily appaer in a “Bullet For my Valentine” song. I also like the line “It sucks to be you, it sucks to be you, no matter what you do.”
While “Born to lose”, a song about not beeing accepted the way you are, is doing a pretty good job, “Stick 'Em Up Kid”, “Automatic”, “Nerd Armor” and “Don't Believe The Hype” are too exchangeable. Don't get me wrong, those are good songs, but you listen to them and ten minutes later you can't remember the chorus.
“Until The Sun Comes Up” is a song for long summer nights and partying at the beach (“Don’t wait up for us, ’cause we ain’t coming home ’til the sun comes up” … “have the time of our lives, never take it slow, so tonight gonna live, gonna let it go” ).
What excites me the most about Zebrahead is that they work so well, it's just great how Ali Tabatabaee's rap parts and the singing of Matty Lewis are so different but together they complete each other perfectly. The guitar parts are stronger than in the other albums, I think the reason for that is new guitarist Dan Palmer. The bass parts are cool and catchy and the drums really fit to every song.
The only weakness of the album is that too many songs are too exchangeable, what I miss are some hit songs which you can't get out of your head. Also they could have used less “Whoaaa wohooo” singing parts, I do like thid 90's style but they really took it too far.
If you compare “Call your Friends” to recent albums of the scene, the album is a 9/10, it's an impulsive album and Zebrahead really stayed true to themselves, and thats what I really, really appreciate.

Rating: 8/10

Songs for listening: Sirens, Call Your Friends, With Friends Like These Who Needs Herpes ?, Public Enemy Numer One

For folks who like: Sum 41, New Found Glory

Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue Acoustic

by Andy

When pop punk was on its peak and bands like blink-182, Sum 41 and Green Day were played on the radio all day long, one of the greatest albums of the scene was Yellowcard's “Ocean Avenue”. Released in 2003, the album was convincing with a mix of impressive punk songs and heartbreaking ballads. Also the use of a violin in many songs was pretty cool. The smash-hits “Ocean Avenue” and “Way Away” got a lot of reputation in the scene. Now, ten years later, the band around the charismatic singer Ryan Key, published an acoustic version of the whole album simply called “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”.
The album cover looks very similar to the original cover and all songs are in the same order. The first 3 songs “Way Away”, “Breathing” and “Ocean Avenue ” are very loud for an acoustic record. The drums are as fast and as hard as the drums on the original songs. Furthermore, the bass guitar is a little bit too loud.
“Empty Apartment”, which was already half acoustic in the original version, is now completely acoustic and has beautiful guitar and vilolin parts in it. In “Miles Apart” you have loud drums again and the peaceful atmosphere gets lost. “Only One” and the amazing “Believe” (which prevents teenagers from depression since 2003) are still awesome songs when played in acoustic but they kind of lost the “Fire” they had back in 2003. “One Year Six Months” is played on a piano, so it slightly breaks up the album before “Back Home” finishes the record with a nostalgic touch.

All in all I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed by the album. Of course all the songs are very well written, but the original album from 2003 is way better than the acoustic version. It seems like Yellowcard didn't try very hard to give the songs their own spirit. Almost every song is played exactly like the orignals, just with acoustic guitars.
However, its a great album for an evening you spend with your girlfriend or for having a good time with your friends or you can just listen to the songs and imagine you are back in 2003.
At least for 49 minutes. nostalgia is in the air.

Stay true to yourself.

Cheers, Andy.

Rating: 7/10

Songs for listening: Empty Apartment, View From Heaven, Back Home

Blink-182 - Neighborhoods: A Guest Blog by Andy

Good evening lovers of reliable pop-punk music, I have something special for you today, a premiere: There are a few bands out there I have absolutely no connection to, for example blink-182. However, that's no problem at all because Andy, a friend of mine, is a huge fan of them with a whole lot of knowledge about this genre in general, so he sat down to write about Neighborhoods, one of the albums by blink-182. Enjoy!

Back in 2011, my absolute musical highlight of the year was the new album by my favorite band blink-182. I had been waiting for this record for years, so I was close to tears when I finally held it in my hands. Called "Neighborhoods“, the album was the first material in 8 years, and many people were wondering what style the album would be. Although the 3 gentlemen are known for their amazing pop-punk songs like “Dammit“, “All the small things“ and “Whats my age again?“ (the song which belongs to the video where they are running around naked), the self-titled album in 2003 was already showing a different, darker side of blink-182. So it was pretty obvious that Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker would not go back to writing fun songs about dating girls, parties and sex with dogs.

“Ghost on the dancefloor“ opens the album quite sad and slowly, it's a song about a lost love. You can clearly hear the “Angels and Airwaves“ influence on that song, Tom Delonge added a lot of effects and synthesized parts. The second song, “Natives“, is quite the opposite of the first one. Really fast and with an amazing guitar intro, the song reminds of Mark Hoppus side project “+44“. The next two songs, “Up all night“ and “After midnight“ have very strong and solid riffs, but they also can't hide their influence by the past side projects of blink-182.
“Hearts All Gone“, written by Hoppus and Barker, could easily be on the bands second LP “Dude Ranch“, the punk song is incredible fast and Travis' Drums nearly beat the sh*t out of you.
“Wishing Well“ and especially “Kaleidoscope“ belong to the better songs of the record. While “Wishing Well“ has some of the old blink-182 spirit in it, “Kaleidoscope“ impresses with a strong guitar riff, amazing drums and great lyrics, which makes it to my favorite song of the album.

All in all “Neighborhoods“ is an awesome album but it can't keep up with their previous albums because those are just masterpieces. “Neighborhoods“ is a very serious and dark comeback and in most songs you can hear influences by Tom Delonges side projects “Box Car Racer“ and “Angels and Airwaves“. In particular this means both strong riffs and many synthesizers.
People who buy the album because they hope for funny pop punk songs will be disapointed. This is a much more mature blink, it's like blink 2.0. If you allow a band to mature and you like open alternative-songs, buy this album !

Rating: 7/10

Songs for listening: Up All Night, After Midnight, Kaleidoscope