OKComputer1016
11/13/08, 09:06 PM
Bayside - Shudder
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Just a quick glance at the song titles should confirm to you that Bayside have not strayed very far from their usual template with Shudder (“No One Understands” is a particularly blatant heart-on-sleeve tune, and don’t overlook its defeated twin “I Can’t Go On.”) So on the one hand, you can give Bayside credit for staying true to their fans by continuing to rip off Alkaline Trio as hard as they possibly can. And, luckily, their style of catchy and honest pop-punk doesn’t grow irritating by record number four.
However, as with 2007’s The Walking Wounded, there are a few production flourishes that I could have lived without. With that album, you got your random waltz-breakdown right at the front of the album kicking off the title track; here the sequencing is a little smarter. Shudder opens with vintage Bayside in the track “Boy”, establishing the tone of the rest of the songs to come. It’s only when you get to the halfway point and meet “I Can’t Go On” that you’ll become frustrated. This tracks 80’s-leaning guitars come off very U2, even though you can tell the group was aiming more for the All American Rejects. When this track winds up as a single, which I pretty much guarantee it will, it’s going to definitely be annoying. Be sure the rest of the album doesn’t sound like that.
“Demons” sounds ‘matured’ as well, but this time they pull it off a little better. It’s nowhere near highlighting the album, but at least it sounds like Bayside and not the production team assisting Bayside. “Moceano” is an almost-ambitious closer (and by ambitious I mean that Bayside attempted to clone Alkaline Trio again by closing with an acoustic based piece) but the Panic-y spelling cuteness (“C-H-A-N-C-E-S pass me by”, etc.) get really old really quick. Also, I’m not going to criticize Anthony Raneri’s overemotive vocals, because that’s the staple main focus of Bayside’s music – but you can’t help but feel like it’s a little bit over done in this song. He needs to M-E-L-L-O-W O-U-T.
The point is, although no Bayside release is ever going to be wholly disappointing, Shudder is pretty hit or miss. You’ll skip around a lot. But, really, it’s worth it to hear the good tracks on here (“The Ghost of St. Valentine”, “What and What Not”, “Have Fun Storming the Castle”.) This isn’t their strongest set of songs, but Bayside definitely hasn’t lost it.
Recommended If You Like:
Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes, every other Bayside album
Check It:
www.myspace.com/bayside (http://www.myspace.com/bayside)
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Just a quick glance at the song titles should confirm to you that Bayside have not strayed very far from their usual template with Shudder (“No One Understands” is a particularly blatant heart-on-sleeve tune, and don’t overlook its defeated twin “I Can’t Go On.”) So on the one hand, you can give Bayside credit for staying true to their fans by continuing to rip off Alkaline Trio as hard as they possibly can. And, luckily, their style of catchy and honest pop-punk doesn’t grow irritating by record number four.
However, as with 2007’s The Walking Wounded, there are a few production flourishes that I could have lived without. With that album, you got your random waltz-breakdown right at the front of the album kicking off the title track; here the sequencing is a little smarter. Shudder opens with vintage Bayside in the track “Boy”, establishing the tone of the rest of the songs to come. It’s only when you get to the halfway point and meet “I Can’t Go On” that you’ll become frustrated. This tracks 80’s-leaning guitars come off very U2, even though you can tell the group was aiming more for the All American Rejects. When this track winds up as a single, which I pretty much guarantee it will, it’s going to definitely be annoying. Be sure the rest of the album doesn’t sound like that.
“Demons” sounds ‘matured’ as well, but this time they pull it off a little better. It’s nowhere near highlighting the album, but at least it sounds like Bayside and not the production team assisting Bayside. “Moceano” is an almost-ambitious closer (and by ambitious I mean that Bayside attempted to clone Alkaline Trio again by closing with an acoustic based piece) but the Panic-y spelling cuteness (“C-H-A-N-C-E-S pass me by”, etc.) get really old really quick. Also, I’m not going to criticize Anthony Raneri’s overemotive vocals, because that’s the staple main focus of Bayside’s music – but you can’t help but feel like it’s a little bit over done in this song. He needs to M-E-L-L-O-W O-U-T.
The point is, although no Bayside release is ever going to be wholly disappointing, Shudder is pretty hit or miss. You’ll skip around a lot. But, really, it’s worth it to hear the good tracks on here (“The Ghost of St. Valentine”, “What and What Not”, “Have Fun Storming the Castle”.) This isn’t their strongest set of songs, but Bayside definitely hasn’t lost it.
Recommended If You Like:
Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes, every other Bayside album
Check It:
www.myspace.com/bayside (http://www.myspace.com/bayside)