Portugal4142
06/16/09, 11:08 AM
Philmont - Oh Snap
Record Label: Forefront
Release Date: April 21, 2009
My musical tastes have changed greatly throughout the years. Introduced to the alternative scene around the age of 16, my CD player went from Blink, to NFG, to Fall Out Boy, and then slowly started to progress to artists like Portugal. The Man, Mars Volta, Cassino, etc., the reason being depth. I wanted to hear bands challenging themselves, and myself. My iPod still shifts to the music I used to listen to, and I still enjoy it, so I started to wonder if I really had a soft spot for these more "poppier" acts, or just had a soft spot for that time in my life and the memories that went along with the songs. I wanted to test that question by reviewing Philmont.
Philmont is a Charlotte based band creating some serious hype with their radio ready pop-punk. Now, by "radio ready," I don't mean groundbreakingly good or hightly contageous. I mean it's good enough to blend in with the rest of the mediocore music that's played on pop stations without pissing anyone off.
The worst thing a band can be is predictable, and there's nothing more frustrating than listening to the first verse and chorus of a song and be able to map out the rest of the song before getting to it. Philmont fits into this category. They are not a bad band, by any means. They are a musically talented, vocally fused band that are probably extremely proud of their Oh Snap EP. And why shouldn't they be? They have successfully created a CD that is like 1,000,000 other releases from young bands trying to get into the same scene, and while that's only a partially sarcastic statement, it really is a decent release. However, who is looking for a decent release that sounds similar to other decent releases?
On the positive side, they are a religiously charged band with some great hooks throughout their songs. And it's not like being a religiously focused band makes them good, but since they're very similar in sound to so many other bands, it helps them stand out by not writing songs about broken hearts. "The Difference" is probably their biggest standout of the EP. Sure, it's not going to blow your mind, but it's an enjoyable listen. "Another Name" is also a good track -- it slows things down and is kind of the "guilty pleasure" of Oh Snap.
I can see Philmont succeeding with this sound, like many bands do. They're catchy, but bland. Keeping in mind that they're still young and learning, I think with a little experience they'll expand their creativity, mainly because all the other elements are there (vocals, guitars, etc). However, I don't see myself checking back with these guys. Oh and by the way, "Oh Snap"? ...I mean, really?
Just Surrender (compliment to Philmont, not Just Surrender), Hawthorne Heights' Fragile Future, Any pop-punk that makes the radio
Check out Philmont on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/philmontrock).
Record Label: Forefront
Release Date: April 21, 2009
My musical tastes have changed greatly throughout the years. Introduced to the alternative scene around the age of 16, my CD player went from Blink, to NFG, to Fall Out Boy, and then slowly started to progress to artists like Portugal. The Man, Mars Volta, Cassino, etc., the reason being depth. I wanted to hear bands challenging themselves, and myself. My iPod still shifts to the music I used to listen to, and I still enjoy it, so I started to wonder if I really had a soft spot for these more "poppier" acts, or just had a soft spot for that time in my life and the memories that went along with the songs. I wanted to test that question by reviewing Philmont.
Philmont is a Charlotte based band creating some serious hype with their radio ready pop-punk. Now, by "radio ready," I don't mean groundbreakingly good or hightly contageous. I mean it's good enough to blend in with the rest of the mediocore music that's played on pop stations without pissing anyone off.
The worst thing a band can be is predictable, and there's nothing more frustrating than listening to the first verse and chorus of a song and be able to map out the rest of the song before getting to it. Philmont fits into this category. They are not a bad band, by any means. They are a musically talented, vocally fused band that are probably extremely proud of their Oh Snap EP. And why shouldn't they be? They have successfully created a CD that is like 1,000,000 other releases from young bands trying to get into the same scene, and while that's only a partially sarcastic statement, it really is a decent release. However, who is looking for a decent release that sounds similar to other decent releases?
On the positive side, they are a religiously charged band with some great hooks throughout their songs. And it's not like being a religiously focused band makes them good, but since they're very similar in sound to so many other bands, it helps them stand out by not writing songs about broken hearts. "The Difference" is probably their biggest standout of the EP. Sure, it's not going to blow your mind, but it's an enjoyable listen. "Another Name" is also a good track -- it slows things down and is kind of the "guilty pleasure" of Oh Snap.
I can see Philmont succeeding with this sound, like many bands do. They're catchy, but bland. Keeping in mind that they're still young and learning, I think with a little experience they'll expand their creativity, mainly because all the other elements are there (vocals, guitars, etc). However, I don't see myself checking back with these guys. Oh and by the way, "Oh Snap"? ...I mean, really?
Just Surrender (compliment to Philmont, not Just Surrender), Hawthorne Heights' Fragile Future, Any pop-punk that makes the radio
Check out Philmont on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/philmontrock).