Gregory Robson
06/18/08, 06:42 AM
The Excitement - The Excitement
Record Label: None
Release Date: March 2008
Youth. It’s overtaking music these days in ways not seen or heard from in quite awhile. Case in point, the pesky Miley Cyrus and equally-pesky The Jonas Brothers. Similarly, the various pop-punk hybrids that are emerging out of the ground like weeds are similarly doing their part to strangle the music world of its creativity. West Virginia band The Excitement successfully blends both youth and pop-punk into their music, creating a platform that is formulaic, predictable and entirely unexciting. That’s not to say that the band is not worth a listen, it’s just there isn’t anything earth-shattering or heart-stopping about the music. The band’s most original claim is their home state and for that, they deserve some nods. The lyrics are average as evidenced by the line, “You’re a two strike girl in a one strike world,” off of the album’s opener. The album’s best song is the aforementioned lead track “They’ve Got the Gas, But I’ve Got the Matches,” and the only two that are worth listening to after that are fourth track, “With All This” and fifth track, “Goodbye West Virginia.”
Vocalist Brad Kinkead doesn’t have the most talented voice, but he attempts to use it well. While “Goodbye West Virginia,” doesn’t exactly prove that, it’s chorus is mildly aurally pleasing. Much like New Jersey’s Return to Arms, the band lacks a ballad or any other instrumentation save for guitar, bass and drums. Why these young pop-punk stalwarts don’t think outside of the box or try something authentic or askew is beyond me. Yes, straight up rock and roll is good once and awhile, but when it’s leaky and bumbling, it’s reckless. Unfortunately, The Excitement is exactly that: reckless. For now, it’s being chalked up to youth, but if the band releases another record like this in two years, chalk it up to ignorance.
Count the Stars, Return to Arms, the entire 2001 Drive-Thru Records catalog
myspace.com/theexcitementwv (http://www.myspace.com/theexcitementwv)
Record Label: None
Release Date: March 2008
Youth. It’s overtaking music these days in ways not seen or heard from in quite awhile. Case in point, the pesky Miley Cyrus and equally-pesky The Jonas Brothers. Similarly, the various pop-punk hybrids that are emerging out of the ground like weeds are similarly doing their part to strangle the music world of its creativity. West Virginia band The Excitement successfully blends both youth and pop-punk into their music, creating a platform that is formulaic, predictable and entirely unexciting. That’s not to say that the band is not worth a listen, it’s just there isn’t anything earth-shattering or heart-stopping about the music. The band’s most original claim is their home state and for that, they deserve some nods. The lyrics are average as evidenced by the line, “You’re a two strike girl in a one strike world,” off of the album’s opener. The album’s best song is the aforementioned lead track “They’ve Got the Gas, But I’ve Got the Matches,” and the only two that are worth listening to after that are fourth track, “With All This” and fifth track, “Goodbye West Virginia.”
Vocalist Brad Kinkead doesn’t have the most talented voice, but he attempts to use it well. While “Goodbye West Virginia,” doesn’t exactly prove that, it’s chorus is mildly aurally pleasing. Much like New Jersey’s Return to Arms, the band lacks a ballad or any other instrumentation save for guitar, bass and drums. Why these young pop-punk stalwarts don’t think outside of the box or try something authentic or askew is beyond me. Yes, straight up rock and roll is good once and awhile, but when it’s leaky and bumbling, it’s reckless. Unfortunately, The Excitement is exactly that: reckless. For now, it’s being chalked up to youth, but if the band releases another record like this in two years, chalk it up to ignorance.
Count the Stars, Return to Arms, the entire 2001 Drive-Thru Records catalog
myspace.com/theexcitementwv (http://www.myspace.com/theexcitementwv)