¡Uno! – Green Day (Review)

As Mama Odie said in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, “You got what you wanted, but you lost what you need”. That quote could not be truer when it comes to the relationship between Green Day’s hardcore fan base and the band’s brand new album ¡Uno!

The first of what is planned to be a series of three albums released between now and the end of January 2013, ¡Uno! is billed as a return to a more classic pop-punk sound. Green Day may have picked up a whole new set of fans when they transitioned into an album focused stadium rock act with 2004’s American Idiot, but fans of the old sound still remained. They call for ‘Basket Case’ and ‘Longview’ at every show; they bemoan the appearance of keyboards and violins in the mix, and what they really want Green Day to go back to sounding like they did before.

Going Out In Style- Dropkick Murphys

"Look serious guys, Springsteen will be here soon"

It is always sad when the biggest selling point of your album is a guest appearance from another artist, but that’s just what Celtic-punks Dropkick Murphys have ended up with on their 2011 release ‘Going Out In Style’. The 7th release from Quicy’s Irish-hardcore masters ultimately ends up not differing much from the previous six, but is that really such a bad thing? Lets take a look.

The big name appearance here is Bruce Springsteen on the band’s cover of 1913 track ‘Peg O’ My Heart’, which sits as the penultimate track of an album that is otherwise just more of the same. Bruce’s smooth tones actually sound a little out of place amongst the shouting that forms the majority of the vocals, but its fun to hear him here and is a nice change of pace. Other than a couple of reworkings of Irish classics, such as the previously mentioned ‘Peg O’ My Heart’ and the final track’s re-imagining of the classic ‘Irish Rover’, the album does not have much at all to separate it from their previous releases. In fact, their  version of ‘Irish Rover’ ends up sounding a lot like fellow Celtic-punks Flogging Molly’s hit ‘Drunken Lullabies’, to a slightly distracting extent.

This is not to say that the album as a whole is not enjoyable, Dropkick Murphys can always be relied on for a good time, but they seem to be getting a little too comfortable as the biggest Celtic-punks around. If you like Dropkick Murphys, you’ll like the album, but don’t expect a revelation, even with the help of Springsteen.

6/10

(Yes, this review is shorter, its a slightly expanded version of a review I did that was originally limited to 150 words)

Lady Gaga- Born This Way

 

 

Well, I for one welcome our new Gaga overlords...

When Lady Gaga released her track Born This Way as a single, a lot of people were underwhelmed. There were cries of it “shamelessly ripping off” Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’, of it being too blatant with its pro-LGBT message (more on that later) or if it being plainly just not as good as her earlier work. Well, if there is one thing we should have learned from her previous efforts, Lady Gaga’s music is nothing without a promo video to accompany it. This fact has never been so true as with the just unveiled video for Born This Way.

Click the image above to watch the video for yourself if you like, but I would recommend you read this first to prepare yourself. Honestly, you don’t want to go in there alone. Ok, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Much like her video for Paparazzi, the Born This Way promo begins with two and half minutes of introduction before the song itself actually begins. Unlike Paparazzi however, which was presented as a Swedish drama, Born This Way takes its time setting up Lady Gaga’s very own mythology. Gaga takes the nickname given to her by fans, ‘Mother Monster’, and runs with it wholeheartedly. Mirrored images set up idea of birth and the womb, images that border on being downright disturbing, but never quite make it due to the layer of glam and glitter over the whole affair. Gaga sits atop a throne with a third eye on her chin (just go with it) in the role of Mother Monster and recounts the “Manifesto of Mother Monster’. She tells the tale of an alien territory owned by the government, known as G.o.a.t, where a new free race of humanity without prejudice or judgement was born. Evil was also born at the same time, seemingly from the anti-Gaga, an idea shown with the imagery of Gaga pulling rifles out from within her (see what I meant about slightly disturbing?) She then sets up that this is what gave humanity the idea of choice. This leads onto the song  beginning properly, being filled mostly with Gaga dancing in a glittery bikini with a team of half naked backing dancers, interspersed with images from the intro.

Now that you know what the video is like, the next question is whether or not it is any good. Personally, I think it is fantastic. For one thing, it is hilarious! This is the most absurd video Gaga has produced to date, and it is thoroughly enjoyable seeing how many ideas are shoved in to such a small space. Its almost like the video is a direct response to the critics who said that the song itself is bland compared to her other work, giving it the much needed WTF quality we have all come to associate with Gaga. A lot of it seems like a response to critics, playing up the Madonna similarity accusations at one point (you will know it when you see it, think ‘teeth’), and flipping between ignoring the LGBT messages at points, and throwing them in your face with glittery unicorns at others.

Overall, Lady Gaga is still a true artist within herself, but more importantly, an artist at trolling the pop industry. She is constantly pushing what she can get away with, and every time it seems she can still go further. With the song itself, Gaga seems to be testing whether people (read: conservative America) can accept an in your face message supporting LGBT rights, rather than her just existing as a gay icon through veiled ideas. With the video, she is seeing whether we will let her get away with setting up a prog-rock style backstory to her new album, and her most shocking video yet.  Seriously, Rihanna’s S&M got banned for less than a lot of the imagery in Born This Way’s promo. I’m happy for her to keep on pushing, because behind all the facades of eccentricity and insanity, she is still providing us with some of the catchiest, most artistic pop in recent years. I’m happy to let her get away with it, the big question is, will everybody else?

Bottom line, Born This Way is an eclectic and hilarious music video that is also going to fuel her hardcore fans for years to come. No matter your opinion on her, Gaga’s work is always worth keeping up with, either for the artistry or the insanity, and it doesn’t get much more insane or artistic than Born This Way.

Toy Story 3

"Try And Spot Whoopie Goldberg's Character, Go On!"

The Academy may as well not open the voting for ‘Best Animated Picture’ this year, nothing is going to stop that little gold man from joining Buzz and Woody’s gang after what Pixar have pulled off with Toy Story 3. Never before has there been a trilogy of films where each subsequent picture is as good as, or better than the original. What’s even more amazing is that this feat has been accomplished by not only a series of ‘kids movies’, but also a series that started with an experiment in a new way of making films. Let us never forget that the original Toy Story was the very first full length computer animated film. This is essentially to Pixar what Snow White was to Disney as a whole, or The Jazz Singer to all of Hollywood. It changed the game in terms of what could be achieved. Had those had sequels, maybe they could have managed to be of this consistent level of quality, but somehow I doubt it. In the Toy Story franchise, Pixar have that rarest of things, true movie magic.

Let me slow down before this turns into a love letter to Pixar and the Toy Story franchise as a whole. We are here to talk Toy Story 3, the final piece in the Toy Story puzzle. It’s been 11 years since the last Toy Story film, so where are we now? Well, it’s been 11 years for the toys too, and as is the way with the species we call human, we grow up. Andy, the owner of the titular toys, has done just the same. He’s 17 and getting ready to head off the university. The toys we knew and loved in the first few films have dwindle in number until only a core group remain. This sets up the big question that spurs on the entire narrative of the film, “what happens when an owner outgrows their toys?” What this sparks off is a movie that, surprisingly, plays out like the wittiest, most emotional prison escape movie you have ever seen.

Even though we’ve lost some friends along the way, there are a bunch of new toys to meet that fill out a great ensemble cast. On the one hand, Ned Beatty puts in a powerful turn as ‘Lots-O’-Hugging Bear’, whereas Timothy Dalton’s role as “Mr. Pricklepants” is minor, but is also an example of the spot on casting done for this film. Hell, they’ve got Whoopie Goldberg cast so perfectly as, wait for it, a stretchy purple octopus that you would never know her from the character itself. The new face that stole the film for me was Michael Keaton’s superb Ken. You’ll know why when you see it.

Trust me, you will want to see it. If you are a kid, you will love it. If you are an adult, you will love it. However, I myself am particularly lucky. I am truly the perfect age group for this film. I grew up with the original films, and as Andy is leaving for University in the film, that process is still fresh in my mind from going through it myself. If you are aged 16-20, and enjoyed the original Toy Story movies, I can honestly think of no better film for you right now. Actually, that statement is true for every moviegoer. What Pixar excel at is making movies for everyone’s inner child, and the Toy Story series is the one that has done this the most thoroughly. At some point in your life, you have played with toys. That’s what makes Toy Story. Look at that sentence again. That past tense going on there? That’s exactly what Toy Story 3 is all about. Toys don’t get played with forever.

Movie franchises don’t last forever either, and thank god that this one has gone out with a bang. Toy Story 3 is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s hilarious, but in a way that no-one will have a joke pitched too low, or fly over their heads. It’s terrifying too, in a way that mainstream animated films haven’t been for a long time. What really makes Toy Story 3 is how heartfelt and cathartic it is. Toy Story 3 is the only film I can remember ever to make me cry.

Go see it now, for the sake of all your old toys.

10/10

Standout Scene:

Mr. Potato Head’s new look

Failsafe For Tomorrow- Give Up The Ghost EP

Failsafe For Tomorrow’s second EP ‘Give Up The Ghost’ reminds me a lot of an undercooked cake. It has the potential to be really tasty, and you can tell the ingredients that went into it were chosen with the best of intentions, but you just can’t enjoy it. Instead, I was left overwhelmed by a feeling of “put it back in, it’s not quite done yet”.

This Scarborough band sit somewhere between Screamo and Metalcore, two genres which, at least for me, seem to struggle with both originality and issues of whiny angst. Sadly, Failsafe For Tomorrow don’t really do much to change my opinions of either genre. Sure, they are a little less whiny than some other bands, but they still don’t have any sort spark that makes me set them apart from other bands. What Failsafe For Tomorrow do have is a pretty decent mix of genres, but just like every other metalcore band, the singing and the screaming sound a little cut and pasted together. Then again, these may just be my personal prejudices against the genres coming through. If you like Metalcore or Screamo, then at its base, Give Up The Ghost is a perfectly serviceable EP, or it would be if it weren’t for everything I’m about to say next.

I really feel sorry for the drummer on this EP. He gets to drum all the way through, and even gets a couple of little solo moments, but is buried so far down in the mix that half of the drum sounds are almost completely lost. The easiest way to describe the drum sounds are to imagine the band is in one room, and the drummer next door. It’s completely muffled throughout the whole EP.

This may  also explain how bad the band seem to be at keeping time at points. I can’t believe that this was not picked up by their producer, or even the band themselves, but at numerous points in the EP, the vocalist and the guitarist are guilty of rushing the beat and each other. For example, the intro to the song ‘So Long, So Long’ is just guitar and vocals, and ends up as almost totally unlistenable. I can’t tell who is rushing who, or whether the rhythms are just clashing, all I know is that it is incredibly jarring to listen to and I am shocked it wasn’t picked up on before release. The guitar rushes ahead yet again later in the song, and there are many other points on the album where the band just is not playing together. Most of ‘Blood To Spill’ is very guity of this, where they are almost playing too fast for themselves.

The band actually sounds a lot better in the limited lighter, floaty sections of some of their songs than in some of the more metal bits. It’s just better musically. I mean, sure, the screaming is very well enunciated (odd praise, I know, but true), but it just sounds like they are trying too hard and sticking in the screaming because the genre they’ve gone for demands it.

Overall, you can probably tell I was not very impressed. You are free to look them up yourself if you are a fan of metalcore or screamo, but you’ve probably got dozens of bands on your music player of choice who can do the job a lot better. I hate to rip apart a new band like this, but they really aren’t ready yet. Just think though, they may have solved all these problems by the time their debut full length release rolls around.

3/10

Standout Track:

What We Are

Introducing: Dinosaur Pile-Up

"I Wouldn't Want To Be Piled Under A Diplodocus"

Hailed as the next big thing by indie darling radio station XFM, Dinosaur Pile-Up seem to be gradually spreading their name around the industry as the next big band to watch. The big question however is, are they any good?

Well, this 3 piece from Yorkshire are certainly trying hard, floating around the peripheries of hitting the big time since 2008. Although, surprisingly for a fresh, up and coming band, they seem to be  making their music difficult to get a hold of. Sure, Myspace has been superseded  by Facebook as the social media site of choice by the general populace, but it has remained at the heart of the independent music scene despite the social scene exodus. This is why it is so odd that only their new single, ‘Birds and Planes’ is readily available on their, seemingly well-updated, Myspace page. This could possibly be because they are trying to keep their debut, full-length album fresh to listeners, but once that September release rolls around, people will not have had much to form opinions on. The only other songs floating around for easy listening are ‘Opposites Attract’, found on a compilation album on Spotify, and ‘Birds and Planes’ B-side ‘Headspinner’, available as a free download on their website. Well, here goes nothing, how can I sum up Dinosaur Pile-Up off the back of three tracks?

If I were just giving an opinion from ‘Birds and Planes’, then I could happily call Dinosaur Pile-Up “Foo Fighters Lite” and leave it at that. Seriously, get Dave Grohl on vocals and this song would fit in without a problem on ‘One By One’ or ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’. The riffing is there, the screaming is there, even the harmonies sound like they could have been lifted straight from something by the Foos. While the overdriven bass sounds really sweet, it doesn’t do much to separate Dinosaur Pile-Up’s sound from that of the Foo Fighters. Like the difference between many bands, a lot of it comes down to the vocalist. Though possibly damning with faint praise, Dinosaur Pile-Up’s vocalist Matt Bigland sounds pop-punk-tastic. When everything else sounds so Foo Fighters, it’s a little odd for the vocals to sound so much like they would fit in on a Blink 182 tribute act.

Happily he, and the rest of the band, show a lot more depth and variety on ‘Opposites Attract’. While the Foo Fighters similarities aren’t completely gone, this track shows them a lot more as carrying the torch of grunge as a whole. Soft verse, loud chorus songwriting is in full effect here, backed-up by a filthy tone and threats of discord which happily stay on the right side of the split between moody and just plain bad. The pop-punk is one of the first influences that has obviously been thrown right out of the window, Bigland’s voice barely rising above a whisper for the majority of the track, and possessing a much welcome moan when the track escalates. The harmonies are still there, but subdued to a level where they become a disenchanted chorus rather than a jolly focal point of the song. Also, I have to commend these guys on their use of feedback, it sounds pretty damn kickass and the song would be left lacking without it. This is grunge at it’s grimiest, and they pull it off in a way that Nirvana would be proud of.

B-side ‘Headspinner’ is a track that bridges the gap between the lightness of ‘Birds and Planes’ and the thick grime of ‘Opposites Attract’, and pulls off being a better song than it’s own A-side. What starts as the epitome of simple grunge grows and grows layer upon layer of instruments and vocals until it becomes something that you wouldn’t really expect at first listen. The bittersweet chorus is a particular highlight, sounding almost like Dookie era Green Day, until the chord sequence takes ones of the grungiest chord shifts you will hear in modern music. The Foo Fighters comparisons remain in the song’s bridge, which takes its cues from songs like ‘Pretender’, but luckily, not in the obnoxious way that the band’s lead single does.

It is a real pity that Dinosaur Pile-Up chose ‘Birds and Planes’ as their lead single. From what I heard, it is definitely their weakest work, going far too far into Foo Fighters territory. You don’t mess with a band as consistent as the Foos. Where Dinosaur Pile-Up shine is where they are reopening the doors to grunge. Grunge is a genre that died a sad, slow death in the 90s and maybe, just maybe, Dinosaur Pile-Up could help it live again. They aren’t the new messiah, but they are definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Meat Loaf- Hang Cool Teddy Bear

Let me get this out in the open before I begin. I have never been a fan of Meat Loaf. For such a legend of rock, I found his music incredibly tame, and bordering on quite sappy and bland. He was just an artist I didn’t get. Popular? Undeniable. To my tastes? Barely, which is why his new release, “Hang Cool Teddy Bear” came as such a surprise to me. It is actually really good.

“Hang Cool Teddy Bear” is apparently the start of a new series of albums, like his previous “Bat Out Of Hell” trilogy. This time it deals with a wounded soldier’s visions of future lives he could have lived. Produced by Rob Cavello, the producer who gave Green Day their first steps into the realm of the concept album with American Idiot, this album sounds great. One problem I had with listening to older Meat Loaf was that for all the intended bombast, it never really came across due to incredibly flat and dull production. This is honestly not the case here. Sweeping orchestras, soaring choirs all back up the core, classic rock line up of guitar, bass, piano, drums and vocals. But that’s the main point, it doesn’t wash the rock into the background. Finally, the guitar track is actually audible on a Meat Loaf release!

I don’t know whether it will apply to rest of the series, but this first release filled with celebrity appearances. Justin Hawkins (most famously of The Darkness) turns up co-writing some of the songs and singing backup, Jon Bon Jovi co-wrote the final track of the album, and Steve Vai and Brian May both play lead guitar on a couple of the tracks. After playing Meat Loaf’s son in the movie “Pick Of Destiny”, Jack Black lends his backing vocals to a track, an American Idol judge sings a duet with Mr. Loaf and, craziest of all, the multitalented Hugh Laurie appears to lend his piano chops to the already star studded “Hang Cool Teddy Bear”.

This is of course forgetting the real star of the show, Meat Loaf himself. He may be getting on in years, but it hasn’t done his voice any harm. If anything, it’s added more of an edge. Meat Loaf’s voice is still flying high like you’d expect, but he’s gained a growl, a gruffer edge, and it really works for him. This isn’t the vocal of an aging rocker, this is the vocal at the peak of maturity. It’s very lucky that he is still so good because he is taking on quite an eclectic mix of styles here. He runs the gauntlet from waltzing power ballads to hip-hop influenced rockabilly, screaming blues-rock to prog-heavy metal. It is actually kind of amazing that so many songwriters writing so many styles could produce such a cohesive album. Each track flows really well to the next, despite only being linked by this overarching concept of a soldier’s visions, which thankfully doesn’t get in the way. This isn’t story album, it’s a collection of interlinked tracks and gladly they do manage to link.

This album has managed to convert me. Ok, you still won’t find “I Would Do Anything For Love” on my iPod, but I have had a great time with “Hang Cool Teddy Bear”. Meat Loaf’s consistently strong vocal is finally backed up by great songwriters, high-class production and star musicians, offering the backing that Meat Loaf has always deserved. Occasionally it’s a little corny, but it’s all part of the fun, and it wouldn’t be Meat Loaf without it. Lets just say I’m definitely keeping my eye out for “Hang Cool Teddy Bear II”

9/10

Standout Tracks:

Living On The Outside

Like A Rose

Song Of Madness

Download the Bonus Track “Prize Fighter Lover” at the  Album’s Site for FREE!

Ramona- Mornington Crescent Now Open

"Apple Don't Have Their Own Band, But If They Did..."

“Mornington Crescent Now Open” is the wonderfully named debut EP from the self-proclaimed “band that never meant to be a band” Ramona. These Canadian pop-rockers started off as a way for guitarist/engineer/producer Dave Fritz of Junior Achiever to release some steam on some solo work, and then gradually picked up other members to fill out the line-up.

It’s important to remember the work of Junior Achiever when approaching Ramona, or possibly not, depending on your outlook on things. The strong influence that Mr. Fritz has had on the sound of both of these groups is undeniable, and the similarities are strong. However, this isn’t a reason to disregard Ramona as just being Junior Achiever songs by a different group, or for Junior Achiever fans to think they know everything they need to about this new group. Anyway, even though I hate to say this, the general listening public won’t have heard of the band that came before, so for most of you, this comparison should not worry you too much.

Ramona is bubblegum pop-rock for grown-ups. Tight vocal harmonies with background “oohs” abound, very occasional profanities thrown in reminding you that bubblegum has a tendency to pop back in your face. Fuzzy guitars, solid drums, floaty synth and high-gain bass round out the highly polished sound of Ramona. It’s not often I mention the production values, but it’s certainly worth mentioning here. Independent bands can often lag behind quite significantly in this regard, but Ramona avoid that problem with a sound that is polished to a mirror shine. At times, this is actually a slight downside as it borders on sounding overproduced and manufactured, but generally they just about stop short of it going too far, and even when they do it gels fine with their overall bright and poppy tone.

If you are one of the people who did know Junior Achiever’s music, then the easiest way to describe Ramona is as a more mature take on it. “Mornington Crescent Now Open” is shiny, grown-up pop-rock. It’s what would happen if Keane tried to be Weezer, or if Coldplay stopped being pretentious and found their inner fun-loving punk. Overall, there really is nothing wrong with Ramona’s music, but yet again, nothing truly special, but how often does that roll around anyway? It’s a solid little release, with a lot of promise. I had fun with it, even if I couldn’t stop thinking of the Radio 4 show “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue” after reading the title.

7/10

Standout Track:

Hanging On The Words

The Separation- Retire Your Engines

"The Separation Appear To Be Camera Shy"

Why do so many bands insist on putting “core” in their descriptions of themselves? It adds nothing, as it base term “hardcore” really means nothing, musically. This is why I was confused listening to ‘Retire Your Engines’ by self proclaimed ‘post-hardcore’ band The Separation from Kent. I guess it makes a useful addition to your description of your band, but it does not really give much of an impression of what your band sound like. Personally, I would describe The Separation as prog-influenced-screamo, but that’s just me.

Still, that doesn’t really help you visualise the sound very well, let me try and place it in terms of other bands. Take one part Thursday and mix it well with Fightstar. Them, in a separate bowl, take Coheed and Cambria and fold Rush in well. Take your Coheed/Rush mixture and sprinkle it liberally over the Thursday/Fightstar blend. Garnish with Fugazi and serve The Separated to your hungry listeners. However, maybe the screamo comment is a little too far, as lyrically, they seem to be going against the traditional Emo grain. Take the song ‘The Real Cost Of Our Free Ride’ for instance, featuring the lyrics “The ‘lets get pregnant’ marathon/We’re at our best when we’re left alone/The ‘I hate my parents’ telethon/We’re at our best when we’re left alone”. The Separation seem to be doing well at mocking the emo/screamo sterotypes, at least a little, which is nice to see.

The lyrics are actually well written, bordering on the poetic, though as occasionally lost when the clean vocals take on a whiney or screamy edge. Sadly, this happens a little too often. They are backed by a pinpoint accurate lead guitar line, and bass with a surprisingly pleasant tone, if simple musically. The rhythm guitar chugs along nicely distorted, sitting on top of adequate (if not overly impressive) drums. They go together to form this odd post-hardcore-prog-screamo mix, which despite all the disparate elements comes together as a nicely produced package. Most of the elements have been done better on their own, but personally I’ve never heard anything exactly like it before so would recommend giving it a listen.

7/10

Standout Tracks:

Black Wire

The Distance Between Us

Three Sisters and The Burning Widow

Junior Achiever- All The Little Letdowns

"Red Album? What Red Album?"

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but at the time of writing I’m getting rather tired of the cold and the snow that winter brings. It’s at times like these that you need something fun and fluffy to help you look forward to the warming rays of the summer sun. All this is why I was so glad to have Junior Achiever’s debut “All The Little Letdowns” drop onto my review pile.

Canadian based Junior Achiever don’t like to be labelled pop-punk, instead preferring the title ‘After-School-Special-Core’ of their own invention. While it is always nice when a band saves me from having to come up with a label for them, but it’s a lot easier to just think of them as pop-punk or power-pop, it describes them well enough. Simple lines, happy tone, few chord changes, occasional heartfelt quiet moments, fast drums, sounds like pop-punk to me. One way to look at pop punk bands is to see how they stack up against all the rest of the multitude out there. Junior Achiever are kind of like Blink 182 mixed with Weezer, except without the teenage humour, and with the inclusion of *shock horror* occasional swearwords!

One thing that’s easy to take from this is that they are pretty harmless. Even their occasional naughty words feel like a kid trying them out for effect, rather than being backed up by any malice. All if the album is reminiscent of other popular songs, but not quite enough to make you feel like you’ve heard it before, which is a reasonably happy position to be in as a part of the genre, especially for a debut release. After all, they’ve always got time to grow. Still, as I said before, it all sounds very much like what has come before it. The song “Better Than This” almost feels like a tribute to “Swing, Swing” by All American Rejects, “Dumb It Down” reeks of Blink 182’s “Stay Together For The Kids” and so on. Not that this is really that bad, if you like those songs you’ll probably like these, but they aren’t really adding anything new to the genre.

“All The Little Letdowns” isn’t really a letdown itself, but that’s only because I went into it expecting harmless pop punk, and that’s exactly what I got. It seems to stride a slightly awkward middle ground, however. If pop-punk isn’t your genre, Junior Achiever aren’t going to change your mind, at least not with this release. Sadly, on the other hand, if you are already a fan of the movement, “All The Little Letdowns” doesn’t have anything new to offer you. It’s a perfectly fine listen, but it’s just nothing game changing. Though if you have the money spare, and you want something to get you ready for when the sun finally does appear, then you could do a hell of a lot worse than “All The Little Letdowns”

6.5/10

Standout Tracks:

Another Stupid Love Song

She’s So Mean

California