Taken Flight - Taken Flight EP
Record Label: Self-Released
Release Date: November 17, 2009
Hailing from Green Bay, WI, four-piece pop-punk outfit Taken Flight write, according to their Myspace account, "powerful anthemic messages about topics ranging from mistrust of politicians to booze & girls...Taken Flight's future is looking up as one of the hottest up and coming musical artists in the country!" Yeah, whatever. By this point I think we have all heard an EP like this enough times to know that the above is most likely a bit of an overstatement. However, even a somewhat tired formula can produce some catchy results, and this EP is certainly not without some charm.
Opener "Wasted" is catchy as hell and fast enough to hold the listener's attention despite some repetition and some really basic lyrics. It might be the band's best song, however, given its semi-memorable hook in the chorus..."I think I'm wasted", Jay Wisneski sings. "Burn It," which is supposed to be some sort of "anti-Obama anthem" or something, is frankly pretty boring, and the lyrics, especially viewed in a political light are certainly cringeworthy: "Can we do anything but drink our lives away?/What goes up/Must go down/Let's light up/And burn it to the ground."
With an opening riff that sounds like it might have been snagged from a New Found Glory b-side, "1987 Parkview Road" is solid, with no major blunders, lyrically or otherwise. Closing number "Beliefs of a Lost Past" is purely forgettable.
Musically, Taken Flight's rough sound hearkens back to early blink-182 or New Found Glory (which is high praise in my book for this genre). However, Wisneski somehow manages to sound like the (more) juvenile versions of Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus at the same time, which fits the music but is lacking flavor. All in all, this is a slightly-above-average second EP from a pop-punk band that is gaining some attention in their local scene (they've gotten radio time and have opened for Relient K). Nothing special, but certainly nothing revolting.
It's actually a top review. I like your cynicism at the band's description of their EP; I think the exact same thing when I read a stupid band bio like that. Keep it up!
It's actually a top review. I like your cynicism at the band's description of their EP; I think the exact same thing when I read a stupid band bio like that. Keep it up!
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