Label: Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic Rating: 3 Guns
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Written By: Tabitha Grace Smith
There's a tendency to judge music that teens love dismissively without really listening to it. Understandably, most non-teens have a hard time grasping the notion that the teenager in their life may actually know something (after all of the fronting to say they did). If you're one of those folks who dismiss teen-loved bands, give The Friday Night Boys a chance.
Hailing from Fairfax, Virginia, The Friday Night Boys have a new media success story. In 2008, they released their EP "The Sketch Process" and sold over 45,000 digital tracks (mostly on iTunes). The success of their EP caught the eye of MTV, who asked the band to play on their Total Request Live's segment "On Your Radar," (their unsigned band feature). As a result the band signed with the record label Fueled by Ramen and released their first full length album "Off the Deep End" this June.
"Off the Deep End" is one of those perfect summer listening albums. The songs are upbeat without being sugar-pop and cliche. The Friday Night Boys also veer clear of being too punk. Think of them more like Yellowcard and less like Blink-182. This is one of those rare albums where I enjoyed all of the songs from the getgo. Probably the best part of this album is the songs are incredibly singable, and many of the songs are cathartic to sing out loud (like "Sorry That I Stole Your Girl" and "Stuttering"). All in all this album is fun.
The entire album plays with effects, sounds, vocals and harmonies. I would have liked more harmony work from the other members of the band, but it was fun to hear them.
Like most pop punk bands, the album is a testament to relationships, lost love, girls and trying to survive a crazy life. Their first single "Unforget You," is a energetic anthem of a broken heart and a girl who wants to get back together. I especially love how the guitar underscores the emotions in this song, working to a frenzy during the outcry of the chorus -- "I can't unforget you if I tried/I threw it all away/I can't let you back inside/Not this time."
My favorite song from the album is "Stupid Love Letter," a song dedicated to not knowing if someone returns the love you have for them. The stupid things you do when you're trying to figure out if someone loves you. And, then, after all his hard work to write that stupid love letter, she said no.
Another favorite song from the album is the slower ballad, "She's Finding Me Out." The Friday Night Boys manage to keep the pop punk sound without going cheesy. "She's Finding Me Out" is a sweet, slightly creepy song about being in love with the popular girl, who apparently knows the guy is in love with her. I especially love the lyrics in the bridge, "She's beautiful/Popular/Scared that I don't belong in her world/I can't sleep/When I can't believe..."
All together a fun album that deserves a spin.
Like Friday Night Boys? Check out: Fall Out Boy, Yellow Card, Teenage Bottlerocket.
