a touch, a kiss, a little bit of this.

Artist: This Years Anthem
Album: Where The Future Meets The Past
Label: Unsigned


Pop-punk these days is split between the pop leaning bands like Cartel and the punk leaning bands like Bayside. This Years Anthem is attempting to balance both of these camps, and they are getting some pretty good results.

Where The Future Meets The Past bursts open with with the anthemic "A Little Bit Of This." The song features a big hook in the chorus, and drops into a breakdown in the second half of the song. Their rough rock sound brings these two elements together wonderfully. Even if the breakdown isn't particularly well executed, it's a valiant effort that establishes the band's style for the remainder of the album.

The other songs on the album don't showcase hooks quite as intensely as the first track, but their pop-flavored version of post-hardcore rock continues throughout. Joe Heafy's vocals are raw and powerful. He may not have the world's most melodic tones, but his intensity and passion are what carries the songs.

The lyrics center around the regular themes of betrayal and revenge. They're not anything groundbreaking, but they suit the music just fine and make for good singalongs.

"Wreckless Hands" slows things down, which may not be a good thing for the band. As stated earlier, Heafy's voice is a little rough around the edges, which is made very clear on the slower songs. There's no doubt that the sentiments of the song are real, but the vocals could use a little work to make it more listenable. However, his voice goes along quite nicely with the acoustic guitar in "Voices That Got Me Through."

Luckily for the band, those two songs are the only non-rockers on the album. Everything else is intended to create a pit and give the crowd a chance to let out some aggression. All of them have very similar structure, but with repeated listens, each song begins to stand out on its own from the others.

Overall, This Years Anthem has a solid debut effort on their hands. They're literally making pop-punk, and with a little more time, they could evolve into the next big thing on the scene.


Tracklisting:

01. A Little Bit Of This *
02. My Friend Future
03. Guess What You Are
04. We All Knew
05. Underneath These Words
06. Wreckless Hands
07. Get It Together
08. Separate *
09. We Might As Well Be Strangers
10. Voices That Got Me Through
11. Practice What To Say
12. Promises And Lies *

* - standout tracks

For fans of: Set Your Goals, early Saves The Day, Halifax.

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