I love it, probably about the same, if not more, than the first album. I contest the fact that the CD sounds too polished at times, with Adam's voice breaking on a few occassions and really hearing his strain and such. Nice emotion and whatever.
Ry is right, Fred does a great job as the new second vocalist, and his voice melds really nicely with Adam's.
The Union is my favourite song on the album. It really really drives the whole way through and has really nice vocal and instrumental lines. Plus, the fact that it's about the two guys who left the band ("you're built from distractions so brilliantly dull...I had a better friend in my worst of plans than I ever had in either one of you..." serves as a good way for the band to get their feelings across.
Set Phasers to Stun
At first I wasn't really sure about this song, but it grew on me really really quickly, and is now one of my favourites on the album. A really nice kickoff to the CD.
8/10
Bonus Mosh Part II
Even if this rose had a different name (owing to the fact that "Bonus Mosh Part II" is the stupidest name for a song ever), it still wouldn't smell sweet. Among my least favourite songs on the album, to be honest. It's slow and boring. The guitar line is probably the nicest thing about this song. Kind of a disappointing followup to "Set Phasers to Stun".
5/10
A Decade Under the Influence
The worst song on the entire album, hands down. Really boring guitar and drum work. I hate the "I've got a bad feeling about this" repetition almost as much as I hate the "I know something that you don't know" in Timberwolves at New Jersey. Really not an interesting song, sadly.
3/10
The Photograph is Proof (I Know You Know)
The Spiderman song. Nice enough, I really like Adam's voice breaks and strains. The chorus structure and notes and stuff are very similar to Bonus Mosh. However, still a really nice song.
7/10
The Union
As I said before, hands down my favourite song on the CD. The Bassline, the crazy guitar after Adam screams "I never made a scene", the bitterness of the lyrics, the mad back and forths between Adam and Fred (almost called him John then
), the funk beat in the first "I never made a scene" part, the whole song is awesome.
9.5/10
New American Classic
Love this song. Beautiful guitar and vocal work. A really nice acoustic song.
9/10
I Am Fred Astaire
I actually really like this song. Something about it has got me singing it in my head alot lately. Really liking it.
7.5/10
One Eighty by Summer
Probably my second favourite song on the CD. It's just a really nice song overall, very nice vocal work between the vocalists, good guitar and basslines, and a nice drum feel to round it off. Plus, the Claudio-from-Coheed-and-Cambria/Jim-From-Sparta-esque squeal at the end of the song from Adam makes the whole song for me. I would listen to this song purely for that part, any day of the week.
9/10
Number Five with a Bullet
I really like this song too, despite its "You're So Last Summer" similarities. Both songs rule though, so I'm not complaining.
8.5/10
Little Devotional
Really catchy song. Been in my head for days. Very nice song, overall.
7.5/10
...Slowdance on the Inside
A nice finisher for the CD. Nothing overly special but a very nice song nonetheless.
7/10
Overall: 8.5/10
Yeah, overall I
this album.
TBS