Blake Solomon
03/23/07, 10:29 PM
The Actual – In Stitches
Label: Softdrive Records
Release Date: May 29, 2007
‘Turn it off, I hate it.’ ‘But dude, it’s the intro track and it has only been playing 25 seconds.’ ‘I know what I like, and this ain’t it. Ok?’ Our generation sure is quick with judgments, especially when it comes to music. Checkerboard Vans? Must be lame. Is that “product” in his hair? This is going to suck. A punk-pop band that mixes the throbbing bass lines and scratchy vocals of The Lawrence Arms with the shredding solos and semi-ballads of 80’s One Hit Wonders? Boring! Now, hold on, before you doom The Actual to a career of Bar Mitzvahs and “We’re huge in Japan,” give In Stitches a chance. And if you’re still hesitant, ponder this: The lead singer is the son of Carl Bernstein, of Watergate fame, and that is just cool.
These days the term “sugar” is becoming cliché to describe the catchiness of a band’s melodies or whatever. However, I’m not above the term and it allows for an interesting comparison. If Hellogoodbye has plenty of “sugar”, then The Actual is full of “sugar in the raw”. These songs will get stuck in your head, and you won’t even be ashamed. From the insanely smart lyrics of “This is the Worst Day of My Life (Do You Want to Come Over?)” to the xylophone in standout track “Between the Bridge and the Chapel”, The Actual will take over your temporal lobes (and possibly your skinny hips).
Singer Max Bernstein’s vocals are just the right mixture of throat and heart. He has written some extremely memorable choruses for “The Pride of the Echelon” and “Dancing on the Perimeter”. Vocal distortions and backing melodies are used artfully and add much depth to the precise yelps of Bernstein.
The Actual go a tad awry when the songs go down the ‘We’re Punk. We swear!’ route. “Stay in my Rectangle” and “If You See Her” are sadly formulaic compared to the originality of steroid ballad (I’m copyrighting that) “Sending Us A Signal” and the shredding of “Permanent Kitten”. Though, these missteps aren’t a huge black eye and I can easily look past them.
No doubt, you’ve already decided the fate of The Actual. But if you’re looking for some good up-tempo punk with sing-along choruses and a bit of face melting, don’t run away too soon. After all, how are you supposed to know if Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches are gross until you try them?
Recommended If You Like: The Lawrence Arms, Scandal, Alkaline Trio, Mr. Big, Chutzpah, The Falcon.
Label: Softdrive Records
Release Date: May 29, 2007
‘Turn it off, I hate it.’ ‘But dude, it’s the intro track and it has only been playing 25 seconds.’ ‘I know what I like, and this ain’t it. Ok?’ Our generation sure is quick with judgments, especially when it comes to music. Checkerboard Vans? Must be lame. Is that “product” in his hair? This is going to suck. A punk-pop band that mixes the throbbing bass lines and scratchy vocals of The Lawrence Arms with the shredding solos and semi-ballads of 80’s One Hit Wonders? Boring! Now, hold on, before you doom The Actual to a career of Bar Mitzvahs and “We’re huge in Japan,” give In Stitches a chance. And if you’re still hesitant, ponder this: The lead singer is the son of Carl Bernstein, of Watergate fame, and that is just cool.
These days the term “sugar” is becoming cliché to describe the catchiness of a band’s melodies or whatever. However, I’m not above the term and it allows for an interesting comparison. If Hellogoodbye has plenty of “sugar”, then The Actual is full of “sugar in the raw”. These songs will get stuck in your head, and you won’t even be ashamed. From the insanely smart lyrics of “This is the Worst Day of My Life (Do You Want to Come Over?)” to the xylophone in standout track “Between the Bridge and the Chapel”, The Actual will take over your temporal lobes (and possibly your skinny hips).
Singer Max Bernstein’s vocals are just the right mixture of throat and heart. He has written some extremely memorable choruses for “The Pride of the Echelon” and “Dancing on the Perimeter”. Vocal distortions and backing melodies are used artfully and add much depth to the precise yelps of Bernstein.
The Actual go a tad awry when the songs go down the ‘We’re Punk. We swear!’ route. “Stay in my Rectangle” and “If You See Her” are sadly formulaic compared to the originality of steroid ballad (I’m copyrighting that) “Sending Us A Signal” and the shredding of “Permanent Kitten”. Though, these missteps aren’t a huge black eye and I can easily look past them.
No doubt, you’ve already decided the fate of The Actual. But if you’re looking for some good up-tempo punk with sing-along choruses and a bit of face melting, don’t run away too soon. After all, how are you supposed to know if Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches are gross until you try them?
Recommended If You Like: The Lawrence Arms, Scandal, Alkaline Trio, Mr. Big, Chutzpah, The Falcon.