Unless you have been living under a
rock these last few months you will have been at some point subjected to the
sheer love that has been shown to the delightful 5SOS. Whether it’s them
trending on twitter (which they appear to do so daily) or whether they are
being blared over radio stations around the country, you cannot help but be
acquainted with this burgeoning pop band. The Australian four-piece, are a mix
between pop and punk and their songs mix between sugar sweetness to spicy punk themes
giving the band an edgy feel. Bringing two genres together has helped to grow
their fandom richly and they’re not going anywhere, any time soon.
The groups self-titled debut album
shows that these boys mean business; clean and compact, the songs roll off one
another in a fashion that shows maturity and determination to get a foot in the
music industry. The album starts with the hugely popular ‘She looks so
perfect.’
The intro screams feel-good fun, and throws the listener right into the mix of
the album. Rocking guitars and loveable lyrics you can understand why the boys
are so popular with the ladies. The chorus is memorable and I found myself
dancing round my bedroom singing my heart out; brilliant. Secondly we move onto
‘Don’t Stop.’ With links to Blink-182’s All the Small Things, (which I
love!) this song really shows off the boys’ ability to mix pop and punk. The
hook is deceptively catchy and although the lyrics are a little sickly it pulls
together nicely. ‘Good Girls’ is the next song, and I start to see a trend; these
boys are definitely trying to woo the ladies. With lyrics such as "[she]
studies hard in her room/At least that's what her parents assume," I can understand
why teen girls are so sweet on this band. This song is delivered with hard rock
guitar chords and another catchy chorus.
At this point I was looking for something
a little more soulful but instead was hit with two more pop hits; ‘Kiss Me
Kiss Me’
and ‘18’.
Both rocked once again with earnest harmonies and catchy lyrics but I really
wanted something a little more soulful. 18 features the line "She's got
a naughty tattoo/In a place that I want to get to/But my mom still drives me to
school,"
Maybe I am a little too old for this band but I’m starting to feel like a soppy
school girl, however, noticeably I can understand that younger teens will be
drooling with teenage love for these cheeky chappies. Finally with ’Everything
I Didn’t Say’ we get a little more emotion. A story of romantic regret and a
little extra emotion created through the use of strings we finally get
something more soulful and beautiful. However it doesn’t quite hit the mark due
to the poppy song lyrics that still remain. ‘Beside You,’ the next song on the
album, works better here and it’s more successful. The lyrics have a more heart
wrenching feel and Luke Hemmings voice really hits its peak; definitely a
favourite for me. We then have a little repeat back to ‘She Looks so Perfect,’ but this time the
character has a bit of a thing for Cobain’s shirt. It is a bit of a repeat on
the first song but it’s well constructed and packs a punch. With some added
handclaps you cannot help but find your feet tapping.
Finally the tempo slows, (only a
little) but to add a little more maturity with ‘Long Way Home.’ It has lovely
thoughtful lyrics and it works well as a contrast to the rest of the album. It
wasn’t a standout song but I found it a little respite from the sickly sweet
confectionary of the rest of the album. The next two songs ‘Heartbreak Girl’ and ‘Mrs All
America’
are much like the rest of the album, cheeky and playful and mix catchy hooks.
It’s getting a little samey for me, but it does make for enjoyable listening as
a whole. Finally we hit ‘Amnesia’; this is the song I’ve been
waiting for. It has a greater sense of maturity than the rest of the songs put
together and connects more wholly with the listener. This song sings of the
heartbreak of a high school romance and when this band tours you know this is
the one that will get the fans crying. It is a beautiful performance and with
its soaring lyrics and beautiful melody it really shows that the band can do
something different to the pop/punk funk they have been creating. It also shows
the band has a great versatility. I just wish it had come earlier in the album
to create a greater contrast.
Overall this is a well-put together
album with some real belters. I would have liked a better sense of balance
within the songs but that could easily be rectified with some tamer more
soulful tracks that have been given a little more time to get them really up to
scratch. This album is definitely worth a listen or two, or three, or four, (oh
you get the picture!)
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