Artist: The Academy Is...
Album: Almost Here
Year: 2005
Out of that whole mess of pop-punk, second wave "emo" bands (or whatever they're called), The Academy Is... might have been the most pop-minded. Will Beckett and company craft something that mixes the intensity of dynamism of that flurry in the new millennium with the 90's alternative that made it possible in the first place. Opener "Attention" comes about as a pop song, but quickly rollicks into the smooth alternative pop-punk that the band is famous for. There is something very smooth about the band in general, which contrasts very well with the frenetic pace of their B verses and choruses; see "Slow Down" for a great example of this, how the first verses are silky and quickly grow coarse as Beckett takes over the song with his immediate tone and controlled but anxious delivery. "Season" takes jaunty verses and then blasts into a well-written, tongue-in-cheek singalong chorus of "so show me something we haven't heard yet". The album's pace is deliberate and never sticks around too long, punching you with hooky choruses and frantic confessions over and over. "Black Mamba" is another highlight, falling more on the punk-pop side, but throwing in acoustic guitars played fast for good measure. The pacing of the album makes every song a highlight, really, as these ten tracks are very deliberately chosen to offer something different to the table. "Skeptics And True Believers" grows in immediacy from front-to-back, "Classifieds" is another tongue-in-cheek song about the industry that is silky smooth, "Checkmarks" takes "Black Mamba" to a harder edge where Will shows more of his dynamic delivery. "Down And Out" is a slow, change-of-pace nearing the end track, but Beckett doesn't exchange speed for sap and the delivery remains immediate and intense and remarkably clever. Closer "Almost Home" ends the album in summary, frantic and rushed and bare but missing the smoothness, showing Beckett at the end of his patience until a coda near the finish ends the album much like how it began: clever, smooth, immediate, and pop-minded. An incredibly solid album and a clinic in how to write great pop-punk. I'd personally nominate Beckett one of the best frontmen of this genre; he has a talent for pulling you right in with his smooth and dynamic vocals. Highly recommended.
Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zLkB2U_hwI
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