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01/29/09, 01:13 PM
Crosstown Rivalry, The - Pull Down the Sky
Record Label: None
Release Date: July 10, 2008
Contrary to what many users of this site may think, “neon” is not the problem with pop-punk. Rather, the problem lies in the music itself. Too many of today’s bands are focused solely on writing that big hook that will help them rise to the top. The result, in most cases, is a release with a really great song surrounded by many lackluster ones. With their second EP, Pull Down the Sky, The Crosstown Rivalry is hoping to break that trend.
One of the great things about Pull Down the Sky is how refreshing it is. The band feels no need to follow any of the current trends that have saturated the genre (vocoded vocals, dance rhythms, etc.) The EP itself has a very throwback feel, sounding like something Drive-Thru would have released back in 2002. To keep things a little more modern, the band incorporates some hardcore elements, like breakdowns, in their songs. With that said, the band isn’t necessarily a “pop-core” band (think somewhere in between Hit The Lights and Four Year Strong.).
The Crosstown Rivalry outshines most of their peers in the lyrics department. Instead of bombarding its listeners with seven songs about partying it up with their “bros” or about some girl who left them brokenhearted, the band focuses on a broad range of topics (friendship, touring and, of course, being from Jersey.) Though the lyrics can sometimes not be a major focal point for a pop-punk band, The Crosstown Rivalry certainly make it as important as the instrumentals.
Despite the positives of Pull Down the Sky, it does have some faults. At several points in the EP, the vocals seem to come off as a little weak. In “With All the Right Intentions,” for example, the vocals seem to be soft in the beginning, while the tempo of the song is much higher, causing the vocals to be somewhat drowned out. Another problem with Pull Down the Sky is that it lacks a huge song. The entire EP is consistent in that all the songs are good, but “With All the Right Intentions” is the closest to being a huge song The Crosstown Rivalry gets on Pull Down the Sky.
For pop-punk diehards such as myself, it has been very difficult to get excited by some of the newer bands out there. With Pull Down the Sky, The Crosstown Rivalry are making me think otherwise. There is hope out there, and maybe The Crosstown Rivalry are the ones to deliver it.
Hit The Lights; Valencia; The Years Gone By
www.myspace.com/thecrosstownrivalry (http://www.myspace.com/thecrosstownrivalry)
www.purevolume.com/thecrosstownrivalrynj (http://www.purevolume.com/thecrosstownrivalrynj)
Record Label: None
Release Date: July 10, 2008
Contrary to what many users of this site may think, “neon” is not the problem with pop-punk. Rather, the problem lies in the music itself. Too many of today’s bands are focused solely on writing that big hook that will help them rise to the top. The result, in most cases, is a release with a really great song surrounded by many lackluster ones. With their second EP, Pull Down the Sky, The Crosstown Rivalry is hoping to break that trend.
One of the great things about Pull Down the Sky is how refreshing it is. The band feels no need to follow any of the current trends that have saturated the genre (vocoded vocals, dance rhythms, etc.) The EP itself has a very throwback feel, sounding like something Drive-Thru would have released back in 2002. To keep things a little more modern, the band incorporates some hardcore elements, like breakdowns, in their songs. With that said, the band isn’t necessarily a “pop-core” band (think somewhere in between Hit The Lights and Four Year Strong.).
The Crosstown Rivalry outshines most of their peers in the lyrics department. Instead of bombarding its listeners with seven songs about partying it up with their “bros” or about some girl who left them brokenhearted, the band focuses on a broad range of topics (friendship, touring and, of course, being from Jersey.) Though the lyrics can sometimes not be a major focal point for a pop-punk band, The Crosstown Rivalry certainly make it as important as the instrumentals.
Despite the positives of Pull Down the Sky, it does have some faults. At several points in the EP, the vocals seem to come off as a little weak. In “With All the Right Intentions,” for example, the vocals seem to be soft in the beginning, while the tempo of the song is much higher, causing the vocals to be somewhat drowned out. Another problem with Pull Down the Sky is that it lacks a huge song. The entire EP is consistent in that all the songs are good, but “With All the Right Intentions” is the closest to being a huge song The Crosstown Rivalry gets on Pull Down the Sky.
For pop-punk diehards such as myself, it has been very difficult to get excited by some of the newer bands out there. With Pull Down the Sky, The Crosstown Rivalry are making me think otherwise. There is hope out there, and maybe The Crosstown Rivalry are the ones to deliver it.
Hit The Lights; Valencia; The Years Gone By
www.myspace.com/thecrosstownrivalry (http://www.myspace.com/thecrosstownrivalry)
www.purevolume.com/thecrosstownrivalrynj (http://www.purevolume.com/thecrosstownrivalrynj)