Freshman 15 - Throw Up Your Hands for One Night Stands
Record Label: Stand By Records
Release Date: February 17, 2009
2009 has brought the promise of a possible pop punk comeback. Though it certainly won't reach the level the genre was at in say, 1999 or 2001, it's still greatly appreciated by longtime fans of the genre. Fans have become wary of the trends most bands in the genre follow, and now some of the bands themselves are beginning to reject these ideas. Bringing back the kind of songs that made bands like Blink-182 huge in the late 90s and the earlier part of this decade, Freshman 15 are seeking to bridge the gap between the pop punk of Drive-Thru days and the pop punk of today.
From the beginning of "Phoenix Can Keep You," Freshman 15 set out to create no BS pop punk. The song rips with fast drumming and melodic guitar work. Many of the hooks on this track are very reminiscent of those found on Blink 182's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Halfway through the song is a Skip School Start Fights-esque breakdown that displays how Freshman 15 combine elements of the genre today and 10 years ago.
It's this blending of parts from pop punk new and old that makes Throw Up Your Hands for One Night Stands so great. It can alternately sound like it was made eight years ago and just recently without being in a time warp. Tracks like "Our California Song" demonstrate this idea very well. Aside from being one of the tracks that stands out the most, "Our California Song" sounds similar to the time when Yellowcard dominated the airwaves in 2003 while also sounding like more recent times with the recent success of All Time Low.
While it may seem that Freshman 15's only strength lies in their ability to combine pop punk of old with that of the new, that is far from the case. Vocalist Davey Fortner's vocals are another noteworthy feature. By no means is Fortner extremely talented vocally. Rather, his strength comes from his unique voice. His vocals are a far cry from the typical strained vocals often heard in pop punk bands of late. This alone helps Freshman 15 stand out in the crowd. Another area to note are the lyrics. It would be nearly impossible for any pop punk band to have lyrics completely free of the typical cliche topics, and Freshman 15 certainly aren't looking to break that trend. With that being said, at times they are able to take cliche topics and add their own flair to the. Take "What Are Friends For?" for example. The band is able to take something so cliche such as a breakup and make it witty and sarcastic as Fortner asks at the end of the end of each chorus "what are friends for?". As I eluded to before, the bands are now beginning to grow frustrated by some of the bands that dominate the scene. "Are You Ready For This?" is where Freshman 15 vent their frustrations. Fortner spews lines like "All these bands they sound so cliche / But why stray when cliche is the way that pays" and "We may be new to the scene but at least we do this honestly" professing his disgust with the bands that are overcrowding the scene.
Every year there is always a pop punk record that just grabs a hold of me and is nearly impossible to stop listening to for the rest of the year. Though it may still be fairly early into 2009, I believe I have found that record. Throw Up Your Hands for One Night Stands has exactly what fans expect in a pop punk record: it's catchy, it's fun, and it's relatable. With a record like this, Freshman 15 could quite possibly have a fairly successful year. If you've yet to join the ever increasing bandwagon, I suggest you do so this very moment.
I like how everyone on AP likes to hate on bands and then they go and wet themselves over bands that are just as generic and lack any form of creativity. If you're gonna like bands that sound like every other band, then don't use it as a reason for the bands you don't like.
And that goes for pretty much everywhere else too. You have so many people that hate on genres of music solely because it's 'all the same' when the style of music they like also has a ton of bands that all sound the same.
I like how everyone on AP likes to hate on bands and then they go and wet themselves over bands that are just as generic and lack any form of creativity. If you're gonna like bands that sound like every other band, then don't use it as a reason for the bands you don't like.
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