flks511
03/20/09, 11:54 PM
Hometown Anthem - Don't Hold On to What You Hear
Record Label: Emerald Moon Records
Release Date: September 18, 2006
Don't Hold On to What You Hear is the debut LP from the six-piece pop punk band Hometown Anthem. Hailing from Belleville, New Jersey, this band's debut is a rushing, whiny, somewhat generic (yet enjoyable) pop punk album that's worth a listen.
The content of the album is what most people would expect: a watered down genre of music that we've all heard from a million different bands a million different times before. But just because Hometown Anthem is working a familiar genre does not automatically dismiss them as an illegitimate band. In fact, the band is pretty talented at what they do, with upbeat drumming, pretty good melodies and lyrics, and stunning production. Very rarely is there a filler track, and it seems as if the band has written all their music from the perspective of a live show rather than how it would sound on the album.
I am particularly impressed by the song "It's Only a Head." It combines the softer side of the band with the more outgoing, rocking side. Another must-have track is "My Miraculous Reason," which features top-notch drumming and a no-fail chorus with great lyrics ("Will I go down as the one who changed your life forever? / You're in my heart so you can use it as a mirror"), and the bridge keeps building until it explodes into the end of the song. "The Kids At the Curb" is another good one, with straightforward, honest lyrics ("You've got your drugs to keep you alive / You've got your friends on your side"), and a great vocal melody for the chorus.
Believe me though, the album isn't perfect. The band doesn't really make an attempt to sound much different from similar pop punk bands like Cavalier or Ten Falls Forth (who aren't really the most original band in the first place). And although it is clear that the band put plenty of time and work into this release, the album starts to drag toward the end. These are problems that can be cured after the band has been playing together for a few years and have time to develop their own trademark sound.
The band has promise. They have a knack for writing catchy songs with meaning behind them, and they keep the listener hooked and interested. It just seems easy to lose Hometown Anthem in the vast world of pop punk.
pop punk; Cavalier; Ten Falls Forth; Blacktop Mourning's No Regret
myspace.com/hometownanthem (http://www.myspace.com/hometownanthem)
Record Label: Emerald Moon Records
Release Date: September 18, 2006
Don't Hold On to What You Hear is the debut LP from the six-piece pop punk band Hometown Anthem. Hailing from Belleville, New Jersey, this band's debut is a rushing, whiny, somewhat generic (yet enjoyable) pop punk album that's worth a listen.
The content of the album is what most people would expect: a watered down genre of music that we've all heard from a million different bands a million different times before. But just because Hometown Anthem is working a familiar genre does not automatically dismiss them as an illegitimate band. In fact, the band is pretty talented at what they do, with upbeat drumming, pretty good melodies and lyrics, and stunning production. Very rarely is there a filler track, and it seems as if the band has written all their music from the perspective of a live show rather than how it would sound on the album.
I am particularly impressed by the song "It's Only a Head." It combines the softer side of the band with the more outgoing, rocking side. Another must-have track is "My Miraculous Reason," which features top-notch drumming and a no-fail chorus with great lyrics ("Will I go down as the one who changed your life forever? / You're in my heart so you can use it as a mirror"), and the bridge keeps building until it explodes into the end of the song. "The Kids At the Curb" is another good one, with straightforward, honest lyrics ("You've got your drugs to keep you alive / You've got your friends on your side"), and a great vocal melody for the chorus.
Believe me though, the album isn't perfect. The band doesn't really make an attempt to sound much different from similar pop punk bands like Cavalier or Ten Falls Forth (who aren't really the most original band in the first place). And although it is clear that the band put plenty of time and work into this release, the album starts to drag toward the end. These are problems that can be cured after the band has been playing together for a few years and have time to develop their own trademark sound.
The band has promise. They have a knack for writing catchy songs with meaning behind them, and they keep the listener hooked and interested. It just seems easy to lose Hometown Anthem in the vast world of pop punk.
pop punk; Cavalier; Ten Falls Forth; Blacktop Mourning's No Regret
myspace.com/hometownanthem (http://www.myspace.com/hometownanthem)