Im'ma write a review of A Day To Remember's What Separates Me From You, since it's my second favorite album of the year.
To start off, this is easily ADTR's softest album, whether it was to go more mainstream or not, idk, not to say that it's a bad thing, Homesick itself was pretty soft, but they were still using the formula that they're famous for. They're Popcore, meaning combining Blink 182-esque Pop Punk songs, with Hardcore breakdowns and screaming/yelling. Most of the songs on Homesick did that perfectly, Pop Punk songs with breakdowns thrown in, such as songs like I'm Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?, My Life For Hire, The Downfall Of Us All, NJ Legion Iced Tea, among others. Of course, they did throw in the primarily Hardcore songs, like Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End, Welcome To The Family, and You Already Know What You Are, but they still stuck to that main formula. On this album, it seems that they did the complete opposite. Still Popcore, but in a different way. 10 songs, consisting of 7 Pop Punk songs, and 3 primarily Hardcore songs (With 2nd Sucks being the heaviest song they've released to date, IMO.). The thing is, they seem to have abandoned the formula of mixing the 2. The 7 Pop Punk songs are just that, Pop Punk songs. No screaming, no breakdowns, nothing heavy about them. I have to say, that while I still love those songs, it's very disappointing for that mixture/formula to be gone, it's what made them so unique to begin with.
So let's start on each track.
Sticks And Bricks - One of the 3 "Hardcore" songs, I don't want to say straight up Hardcore, because it does have a clean chorus, which Hardcore lacks pretty much, but it is a very Hardcore-esque song and hits hard and has very strong Hardcore elements.
I've gotta say, that even though they lost the mixture of the 2 genres on this album, that the 3 Hardcore songs, are the 3 heaviest songs they've written, along with Heartless, from their first album, And Their Name Was Treason.
This song starts out with an amazing and extremely aggressive growl from Jeremy, and the riff following it just sets the tone for the rest of the song, as well as the rest of the album, because even though they're soft Poppy songs, it's a very bitter and angry album throughout, just a very angry song. This tone shows in the amazing breakdown, when Jeremy screams "MY HEART IS FILLED WITH HATE." Which hits extremely hard.
As far as the softer part of the song, the chorus is arguably the most catchy one they've ever written. 10/10
All I Want: The radio single off this album, and for a very obvious reason. Probably the most catchy song they've ever written. Every verse, and especially that amazing and memorable chorus, makes you just wanna sing at the top of your lungs. Seems to exactly what they were going for too, with the opening line being "I'm always screaming my lungs out, 'til my head starts spinning. Playing my songs is the way I cope with life.". It has a very positive and uplifting feel to it as well, and it just always puts me in a good mood. "All I Want is a place to call my own, to mend the hearts of everyone who feels alone.". 10/10
It's Complicated: Easily one of the most cheery and upbeat songs on the album, although lyrically, it's pretty negative and angry, as is the overall tone of the entire album, as stated earlier. Starts with an energetic bark from Jeremy that's delivered perfectly and gives the song a lot of energy right from the start. 10/10
This Is The House That Doubt That Built: This one was definitely a grower, didn't like it too much at first, but I love it now. One of the more positive songs on the album. "Let's believe that if we all stand together, we're a force that could shake the whole world.". Nothing too amazing on this song, but it's still nothing bad or horrible, just a good and standard ADTR song. 8/10
2nd Sucks: Straight up all out Hardcore song. Heaviest song they've ever written. Ends at 2:28, which is the only downside. But this song, starting with an audio sample from Mortal Kombat (FIGHT!) is just relentless and hits hard from beginning to end. Heavy as all Hell with an amazing breakdown and a brutal, yet extremely simple, riff. Very angry and hateful all the way through. The feeling of all out war is very suiting. 10/10
Out Of Time: Easily the heaviest of the Pop Punk songs on the album. Very fast paced and hard hitting. It's actually the only song on this album that's close to the formula used on their past 3 albums, mainly Homesick, has screaming Vocals, and a mini breakdown, mixing in the Hardcore, which was very refreshing since none of the other songs did this. I feel this is probably Jeremy's best Vocal performance on the album, right from the beginning with him belting out the opening lyrics and going into a kind of bark. 10/10
All Signs Point To Lauderdale: Competes with All I Want in catchiness, and is definitely up there in the most catchy choruses they've ever written, has a very simple, but memorable intro and chorus. "I hate this town, it's so washed up, and all my friends don't give a fuck. They'll tell me that it's just bad luck, when will I find where I fit in?". A line that I found stuck in my head for days on end. 10/10
You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic: The 3rd and final Hardcore song on the album. Extremely heavy and relentless like 2nd Sucks, although not Hardcore through and through, since like Sticks And Bricks, it has a clean chorus as well. It has Jeremy performing high screams, which he usually doesn't do, and stays in the normal Hardcore style low to mid range screams. This song hits me personally as well, as do many of the other songs on this album, but especially this song more then the others. Makes it that much better. The chorus on this song is just mindblowing and is pulled off extremely well. The breakdown has an amazing build-up as well. "All the things you love, are all the things I hate....HOW DID WE GET HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?". Leading up the crushing breakdown. 10/10
Out Of Time: Arguably my personal favorite out of the Pop Punk songs on the album, and the song that I constantly find myself replaying. Starts off very calm, and then explodes into a faster and heavier song, with Jeremy belting out "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!?!?". Yet another amazing chorus, and my personal favorite lyrics on the album, also personal to me. 10/10
If I Leave: Like This Is The House That Doubt Built, this song was a grower that I didn't like as much at first, but now love, but this song is definitely better and catchier then This Is The House That Doubt Built. I feel that it's the softest song on the album, and a great way to end the album on a soft note, much like Homesick ending with If It Means A Lot To You. Especially starting with such a heavy song as Sticks And Bricks. 9/10
This album overall, is an amazing album, and yet another album in ADTR's library that was good through and through. It's extremely catchy, and they're still masters at what they play in my opinion, and do it just perfectly. This album would get a 10/10 for having pretty much no flaws, but it honestly was a huge disappointment to see them drop their usual formula, without changing anything else while doing so. So my final score is 9/10.
I've listened to two songs...I guess I'll listen to an entire album. If it turns out you were wrong, I will not hesitate to just forget this happened and move on with my life.
They're a LOT Like Blink 182, but no one gives them a chance. Their biggest influence is Blink 182, and it shows extremely clear.
I'm sorry, but ADTR is nothing like Blink-182. I would know because I was apeshit over them for years. If this was your opinion I would just laugh at you but you seem serious as if this is a fact. They can be influenced by them, that's fine but ADTR is not in any way pop punk. If they were like Blink they'd be over almost every radio station and get normal rotation on mtv. Not only that, Blink has more pop qualities then punk. And they're more of a ha ha band with how many jokes they crack and most of their lyrics. If you want to throw around genres loosely then I guess ADTR is pop punk and Blink is just pop rock.
They're a LOT Like Blink 182, but no one gives them a chance. Their biggest influence is Blink 182, and it shows extremely clear.
I'm sorry, but ADTR is nothing like Blink-182. I would know because I was apeshit over them for years. If this was your opinion I would just laugh at you but you seem serious as if this is a fact. They can be influenced by them, that's fine but ADTR is not in any way pop punk. If they were like Blink they'd be over almost every radio station and get normal rotation on mtv. Not only that, Blink has more pop qualities then punk. And they're more of a ha ha band with how many jokes they crack and most of their lyrics. If you want to throw around genres loosely then I guess ADTR is pop punk and Blink is just pop rock.
This is what I wanted to say, but I figured I'd spare myself the bitching. Wahoo!
TUPAC IS DEAD/THE LEGEND IS GONE/THEY SAYIN TUPAC'S BACK?/DEM NIGGAS WRONG
Comments
never knew that
To start off, this is easily ADTR's softest album, whether it was to go more mainstream or not, idk, not to say that it's a bad thing, Homesick itself was pretty soft, but they were still using the formula that they're famous for. They're Popcore, meaning combining Blink 182-esque Pop Punk songs, with Hardcore breakdowns and screaming/yelling. Most of the songs on Homesick did that perfectly, Pop Punk songs with breakdowns thrown in, such as songs like I'm Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?, My Life For Hire, The Downfall Of Us All, NJ Legion Iced Tea, among others. Of course, they did throw in the primarily Hardcore songs, like Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End, Welcome To The Family, and You Already Know What You Are, but they still stuck to that main formula. On this album, it seems that they did the complete opposite. Still Popcore, but in a different way. 10 songs, consisting of 7 Pop Punk songs, and 3 primarily Hardcore songs (With 2nd Sucks being the heaviest song they've released to date, IMO.). The thing is, they seem to have abandoned the formula of mixing the 2. The 7 Pop Punk songs are just that, Pop Punk songs. No screaming, no breakdowns, nothing heavy about them. I have to say, that while I still love those songs, it's very disappointing for that mixture/formula to be gone, it's what made them so unique to begin with.
So let's start on each track.
Sticks And Bricks - One of the 3 "Hardcore" songs, I don't want to say straight up Hardcore, because it does have a clean chorus, which Hardcore lacks pretty much, but it is a very Hardcore-esque song and hits hard and has very strong Hardcore elements.
I've gotta say, that even though they lost the mixture of the 2 genres on this album, that the 3 Hardcore songs, are the 3 heaviest songs they've written, along with Heartless, from their first album, And Their Name Was Treason.
This song starts out with an amazing and extremely aggressive growl from Jeremy, and the riff following it just sets the tone for the rest of the song, as well as the rest of the album, because even though they're soft Poppy songs, it's a very bitter and angry album throughout, just a very angry song. This tone shows in the amazing breakdown, when Jeremy screams "MY HEART IS FILLED WITH HATE." Which hits extremely hard.
As far as the softer part of the song, the chorus is arguably the most catchy one they've ever written. 10/10
All I Want: The radio single off this album, and for a very obvious reason. Probably the most catchy song they've ever written. Every verse, and especially that amazing and memorable chorus, makes you just wanna sing at the top of your lungs. Seems to exactly what they were going for too, with the opening line being "I'm always screaming my lungs out, 'til my head starts spinning. Playing my songs is the way I cope with life.". It has a very positive and uplifting feel to it as well, and it just always puts me in a good mood. "All I Want is a place to call my own, to mend the hearts of everyone who feels alone.". 10/10
It's Complicated: Easily one of the most cheery and upbeat songs on the album, although lyrically, it's pretty negative and angry, as is the overall tone of the entire album, as stated earlier. Starts with an energetic bark from Jeremy that's delivered perfectly and gives the song a lot of energy right from the start. 10/10
This Is The House That Doubt That Built: This one was definitely a grower, didn't like it too much at first, but I love it now. One of the more positive songs on the album. "Let's believe that if we all stand together, we're a force that could shake the whole world.". Nothing too amazing on this song, but it's still nothing bad or horrible, just a good and standard ADTR song. 8/10
2nd Sucks: Straight up all out Hardcore song. Heaviest song they've ever written. Ends at 2:28, which is the only downside. But this song, starting with an audio sample from Mortal Kombat (FIGHT!) is just relentless and hits hard from beginning to end. Heavy as all Hell with an amazing breakdown and a brutal, yet extremely simple, riff. Very angry and hateful all the way through. The feeling of all out war is very suiting. 10/10
Out Of Time: Easily the heaviest of the Pop Punk songs on the album. Very fast paced and hard hitting. It's actually the only song on this album that's close to the formula used on their past 3 albums, mainly Homesick, has screaming Vocals, and a mini breakdown, mixing in the Hardcore, which was very refreshing since none of the other songs did this. I feel this is probably Jeremy's best Vocal performance on the album, right from the beginning with him belting out the opening lyrics and going into a kind of bark. 10/10
All Signs Point To Lauderdale: Competes with All I Want in catchiness, and is definitely up there in the most catchy choruses they've ever written, has a very simple, but memorable intro and chorus. "I hate this town, it's so washed up, and all my friends don't give a fuck. They'll tell me that it's just bad luck, when will I find where I fit in?". A line that I found stuck in my head for days on end. 10/10
You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic: The 3rd and final Hardcore song on the album. Extremely heavy and relentless like 2nd Sucks, although not Hardcore through and through, since like Sticks And Bricks, it has a clean chorus as well. It has Jeremy performing high screams, which he usually doesn't do, and stays in the normal Hardcore style low to mid range screams. This song hits me personally as well, as do many of the other songs on this album, but especially this song more then the others. Makes it that much better. The chorus on this song is just mindblowing and is pulled off extremely well. The breakdown has an amazing build-up as well. "All the things you love, are all the things I hate....HOW DID WE GET HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?". Leading up the crushing breakdown. 10/10
Out Of Time: Arguably my personal favorite out of the Pop Punk songs on the album, and the song that I constantly find myself replaying. Starts off very calm, and then explodes into a faster and heavier song, with Jeremy belting out "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!?!?". Yet another amazing chorus, and my personal favorite lyrics on the album, also personal to me. 10/10
If I Leave: Like This Is The House That Doubt Built, this song was a grower that I didn't like as much at first, but now love, but this song is definitely better and catchier then This Is The House That Doubt Built. I feel that it's the softest song on the album, and a great way to end the album on a soft note, much like Homesick ending with If It Means A Lot To You. Especially starting with such a heavy song as Sticks And Bricks. 9/10
This album overall, is an amazing album, and yet another album in ADTR's library that was good through and through. It's extremely catchy, and they're still masters at what they play in my opinion, and do it just perfectly. This album would get a 10/10 for having pretty much no flaws, but it honestly was a huge disappointment to see them drop their usual formula, without changing anything else while doing so. So my final score is 9/10.
By the way, my friend would cut your dick off for calling ADTR pop punk. Personally I think pop punk is the gheys for the most part, but eh, whatever.
Not even being a dick, but that's just as bad as saying Blink 182 isn't Pop Punk.
If it turns out you were wrong, I will not hesitate to just forget this happened and move on with my life.
ADTR could be considered pop punk, but that's using the term very loosely. Just like people calling All Time Low pop punk.
This would be "real" pop punk.
/thread