Review: A Day to Remember – Homesick

Blake Solomon Jan 25, 2009

Homesick makes it abundantly clear why so many people refuse to jump sides for A Day to Remember. There are 12 songs of the exact same heavy/lol-pop that can be heard onFor Those Who Have Heart or And Their Name Was Treason. Stick with your instincts; there are no true changes to the band’s sound. However, I finally realized the (probably intentional) trickery that comes packaged with ADTR records. Each one begins with a blistering fist pumper that’s more pop than “mosh.” The listener is instantly “amped” up (or whatever), and then it’s almost like the remaining 35 minutes don’t even matter. Your sated pleasure sensors easily discharge the forthcoming filler. But let’s say you skip that first song – or in this case, the first and second song – do you still have a great record? Quite confidently, I will say without this carefully planned dose of adrenaline you have a terrible f**king record. After we hear a shattering breakdown proclaiming “This is a battleground!” in second song “My Life For Hire,” the album becomes pretty skippable – save for a few (admittedly contagious) moments. If any band should just release EP’s, it’s A Day to Remember.

Blake Solomon Oct 29, 2008

Jeremy McKinnon is a scrawny dude. He has a thick beard and, other than some gauged ears, looks like your normal pizza delivery dude or community college dropout. But, duh, looks can be deceiving. This guy is the definition of two-in-one. He handles both the nasally melodic vocals and I’ve-got-a-werewolf-in-my-throat growls for A Day to Remember. It’s like if Jekyll and Hyde was chased by tweens in neon instead of policemen in bell-shaped hats. However, it’s fairly safe to say these stupid people are onto something. Dummies can get lucky every now and then. Yes, sure, I’m fully aware all the “smart” music fans on this site hate (like totally despise!) ADTR. Hey! All you crabbypants need to cheer up and hitch a ride on xXshaantluverXx’s bandwagon. She beat you to it, and you better believe she’s going to rub it in your face.

Blake Solomon Aug 27, 2008

Forgive me if I seem a bit zany during this review. There has been great upheaval in La Vida de Blake lately. Things started out great: I finally found a girl that liked me enough to let me do that cute thing where you hold hands by interlocking fingers. I heard music everywhere, and that wasn’t only because Pierce Brosnan hit his high note in “SOS.” Aside from this happy fact – we’re soulmates, I can feel it – I was forced to deal with some devastating news: Anberlin has signed to a major label. Put on your black graphic tee and mourn. It’s time to un-bookmark their Myspace and Twitter pages. Well, at least until now there was the slim chance New Surrender would be terrible. Hell, I’d dump Jasmine in a heartbeat if it would make this album contain terrible ballads and safe, music-executive approved radio rock. They’d be back on an indie and they’d be all mine. Of course it’s just my luck that New Surrender rocks with the force of Blueprints and smarts of Never Take Friendship Personal. And worse still, Jasmine found out my father doesn’t own and never has owned a private island near Bermuda. If you need me, just listen for the sobs at Anberlin’s next packed arena concert.

Blake Solomon Jul 21, 2008

The beauty of pop-punk is all around us.

I see it when I peer down at my turquoise and lime green limited edition Air Force Ones. I see it on my computer screen while I’m bashing other reviewers for hating my favorite bands. I feel it when I pen every new, wonderful, totally original opening paragraph about a pop punk band. There’s just too much about this music – and life for Christ’s sake – to love. I’m in love! With a girl. With The Maine!

Let me tell you about it!

The Maine are original in the way that Doritos keep making zestier Cool Ranch or tangier Nacho Cheese chips. (And we’re supposed to celebrate this? It tastes the f**king same!) Rather than nut-busting rockers, they prefer to chill us out with acoustic guitars and jog-don’t-sprint tempos. Also, while most of the lyrics are terrible, they still find a way to resonate with me. I’ve been there: One time a girl blocked my advances and I almost died. Another actually broke up with me and I was clinically dead for 6 minutes.

Blake Solomon Oct 16, 2007

As a race, we like consistency. There’s a long-winded, wordy premise called “Balance Theory” that describes this. Basically, the theory says most humans would rather have everything stay the same than constantly change. Per usual, there are exceptions to the rule; we call them thrill seekers or daredevils. But these people are few and far between, and despite what you tell yourself as you put your gauges in every morning, you are not one of these people. Music fans, especially, like consistency. Crime In Stereo, in perhaps the most “punk” move of the year, have essentially created an album full of “F**k You’s” aimed at those looking for the same ol’ same ol’. Some people are going to be mad, some are going to rejoice, and others will (incorrectly) hail Is Dead as a revolution. In all likelihood, though, Is Dead will be a testament to those with open minds.

Blake Solomon Oct 4, 2007

Career Suicide my ass. A Wilhelm Scream will still be sitting atop a throne of insanely fast riffs, in-your-face lyrics and basslines that actually matter. If you recently found yourself listening to Ruiner and thinking, “There’s no way they can do better than this,” well, shows how much you know. Slap yourself for lack of faith. I’ll wait… But seriously (I do serious?), Career Suicide finds A Wilhelm Scream trying their capable hands at some longer, but still pretty punk tracks. Calm down, everything works just fine. In fact, the album flows so well that I challenge you to only play it in bits and pieces. I challenge you to listen to opener, “I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz,” and not get excited all over again about one of the most solid bands making music today.

Blake Solomon Oct 1, 2007

You don’t want to read about my history with Emery just like I don’t want to read about how they changed your life way back when (soon after, you bought a sick t-shirt, I’m sure). Let’s just stick to the present, then. The merit and quality of I’m Only A Man has been hotly debated around these parts. With each new song posted more people dug a line in the sand and seemed to say, “I’m biased enough to not care,” or “Can’t wait for that new Spoken disc to drop!” We’re all familiar with Emery’s formula by now – I use that word because of how predictable the songwriting can be – the melodies dominate beginnings of songs while some unintelligible shrieking finishes out the tracks with moderately discordant riffs. Expect no different here. All we are left with is the illusion of intensity, repetitions of semi-heaviness. Why people (myself included) can look over such glaring flaws is hard to explain (I mean, catchiness can only take a person so far). On second thought, maybe we should be reminiscing.

Blake Solomon Sep 19, 2007

Take a look around. What do you see?

Half-eaten bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Check.
Nunchucks hanging on wall (you know, just in case)? Check.
Telescope facing hot co-eds. Triple check (they’re blondes!).
A general air of debauchery and laziness? Check**

Well then, you’re an idiot. Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t take that as a put-down. You have not been forgotten this time. You can finally dive into the cesspool of discarded expectations and “you had to be there” stories with a sufficiently boisterous soundtrack. For The Wonder Years have created Get Stoked On It! And Ted saw all that he had influenced, and that it was very good. He tried to tell Bill, but Bill had fallen asleep in the phone booth and was transported back to feudal Japan. Moving on.

Blake Solomon Jul 23, 2007

I am nowhere naive enough to believe the words in this article will slow or deter June in any way. As my stuffed animal (a dog named Hank) and my comic book-collage mock me in the house of my parents, it’s hard to feel like I have any actual influence. This isn’t a question of power, though. Make It Blur, much like my room and existence, is ordinary. What a foul word. Just a few years ago this sound would have been dandy, even refreshing. But nowadays everyone wants “that” moment; the fleeting sensation where one can close their eyes and drift away from all things unattainable. The last thing we want is to remember how alike everything is and how it always will be. June’s new album is my stuffy bedroom, and I’ll be damned if I spend another day in this prison.

Review: A Day to Remember – Homesick

Review: A Day to Remember – Old Record

Review: Anberlin – New Surrender

Review: The Maine – Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Review: Crime in Stereo – Is Dead

Review: A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide

Review: Emery – I’m Only A Man

Review: The Wonder Years – Get Stoked On It!

Review: June – Make It Blur