Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
I don't know about you guys, but when Spotify gives me a new Discover Weekly mix, I don't even go near it. Most of the time it's stuff I already discovered and like, stuff I already discovered and hate, or just stuff that I don't even WANT to discover. Last week's mix was a bit of an exception.
It seems like Spotify read my mind when I said I wanted fresh indie songs from small new bands because that's what I got. A song that stuck out for me was by a band called Camp Howard, mainly because the song had the f-bomb in the title, so of course I had to listen to it to feel cool and rebellious. So I did, and before you know it, I listened to all six songs just like that. I decided that this EP was short, sweet, and full of thought-provoking lyrics- perfect vibing and reviewing material! The Cover: You already know from many V&Rs before that I'm a sucker for simple covers with that hand-drawn look. (Shoutout to Cavalier just a few scrolls down!) Another thing you might not know about me yet is that I love fruit. I love all of the natural vibrant colors that appear in fruit, I love how sweet and healthy fruit is, I just..love fruit!! Putting a picture of any fruit on anything will normally draw me, and I'm sure some other peeps, to whatever you're doing. So, automatic A+ in the cover department. It did take me a while to stop asking the question "Wait...what does fruit have to do with anything?" before I realized...it's called the JUICE EP! Fruit...juice! I'm very ashamed it took me a while to realize that. Has it really been that long since school ended?! Haircut: When I first heard this song, I immediately thought "Mac Demarco instrumentals, the guy from Real Estate's voice." (I'm sorry, I don't know his name. I have to make a note to Google it later...) Even though it was an extremely small detail, my favorite part of the song was the cowbell at the beginning, or at least I think it was a cowbell. I also like how the mood of the song changed at the end. Like, in the beginning it was casual and upbeat, but after the 2 1/4 minute mark it got kinda intense....it was awesome. There aren't a lot of good songs that do that anymore. Juice: The part of this song that made it amazing for me was the vocal harmonies in the middle. I think that all of the member's voices fit nicely together and it kinda gave me some Local Natives feels. Just listen to one of their songs and pay attention to the parts where they sang together and you'll know what I mean. I also thought the bass on this track was really cool. F***ed Up: Wow, this is a milestone, the first time I had to censor a word on my page! You are witnessing history here, folks. Like Haircut, you have to acknowledge and appreciate the tempo changes that happen whenever they sing the chorus and when they get to the 2 minute mark, because I think that's very impressive. I wish Camp Howard would come to New York because this song would be life-changing to hear live. All that distortion? The transitions? Those killer drums? Sign me up. This was the song I heard on my Discover Weekly, and I find myself relating to the lyrics. Let's be honest: I think we all do at one point in our teenage lives. Those moments you feel like an outcast, where you don't know what you want to do. Boredom, confusion, isolation, and rebellion all in one short but sweet song. Sums up teenage-hood pretty well, wouldn't you agree? Mismo: I think this one might be my favorite, and it made me sad and confused that it had so little listens. I mean, come on. IT'S IN SPANISH. And, despite only having taken Spanish I and II, I understood about half of it. Even though I don't know the words, it doesn't mean I can't compliment the instrumentals (My favorite part the guitar nearing the end) and the vocals (THE R-ROLLS. The r-rolls.) (If you can't tell I'm very impressed with people who can roll their Rs because I can't. It's impossible). Country: I don't know why, but for some reason since this song was called "country," I thought it was gonna be, like, a country song. I'm sorry my brain has these intrusive thoughts. I'm very relieved it wasn't a country song, and instead it was a really rockin' song which somehow gave me flashbacks to driving though rural-like areas in the fall. I like songs that make you go on an adventure and forget about where you are for a couple minutes, and this song was one of those. For three minutes I was not walking, but RUNNING through the country because the extreme-ness of this song gave me the energy to. I Will: This song makes me feel a mix of emotions, to be honest. I wanted to feel happy, but I got a little sad. It made me reflect on the past, but also the future because of the future tense of the title. In the end, I took it as a total optimist song. It's the end of the EP, and I think it's setting a mood for what everyone is going to do after it ends: the listener, the band, the subject of the song. It made me wanna go talk to everyone I've left on bad terms with. In conclusion, I think this EP was pretty rad. That's my cool skateboarder slang for "OH MY GOD THIS EP WAS AMAZING AND I'M TRYING TO BE ALL LOWKEY ABOUT IT BUT SECRETLY I'M EXPLODING." Let me know why Camp Howard isn't big yet. They're chill, they're relatable, and they're from Virginia which isn't related to anything. I just thought that was cool because I love it there. I think you should go listen to this EP and do something cool while listening. Read a classic novel, pet a cat, tend to a basil plant, make some tea, or do a Pinterest DIY that involves a Mason Jar. Those are the vibes this EP gives me, and I think any album that makes you wanna do any of these things is worth listening to.
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Music videos are a blessing. It allows fans to see a visual interpretation of the artist's thoughts about their song. There are many music videos that I have seen through my life, but here's a little list of videos that take me back to the good old days whenever I see them. The first time I heard this song and watched this video was one morning at 6:30am when I was getting ready for school. I was watching MTV and this song was playing. My favorite part was the beginning; I always laughed at the guy face down in the kiddie pool while everyone stared. I felt so cool watching it, MTV was such a grown up adult channel and here I was, a little middle schooler. It made me excited for high school- minus the weed brownie, is this what my experience would be like? Even though I really couldn't have been more wrong, watching this video brings me back to a better and more innocent time in my life. I first saw this video at a bowling alley at a party. I remember getting goosebumps at the amazing camerawork- I thought it was so cool that they got him to dress up in so many outfits in so many different locations so quickly. Me and my middle school friends were kind of the losers, weirdos, and outsiders, so I could really relate to the "Us vs Them" scene. Even now, when I'm struggling with wanting to give up and feelings of defeat, I always find myself coming back to this song and video. It reminds me that I've made it through tough times before, and I can make it through them again. Very empowering! One time, my next door neighbor who's about 5 or so years older than me was babysitting my brother and I. This was back when I was about 11, and he was 7. She showed us this video, and the only thing I vividly remember is her telling us not to freak out or tell anyone when the kid flipped the bird, or when the whole fight scene happened. I realize that I say "this song was one of my first tastes of alt rock!!" a lot, but this one is definitely up there with being the earliest. To be honest, the whole story about my neighbor showing us this might just be me not remembering correctly, because this was the same person who jammed with us to the Arthur Library Card song, so I don't know. Whatever the story is, I remember seeing this video when I was 11 and I still love everything about it, so that goes to show that some things just don't change. My memory is NOT one of those things. Ahhh, Andy Grammer before anyone even knew he was Andy Grammer. I don't even know how and why I discovered this video, but all I know is that it was on my iPod because my mom, brother, and I liked it. I mean, who wouldn't? It's a cool video about a cool guy partying with cool people in a cool building and also on a cool rooftop. When we were stranded in the middle of nowhere on long car rides and nothing was on the radio, this music video was the first to blast through the speakers when we plugged in the AUX cord. It brings back happy memories and I still know all the words. Only rainbows after rain..... If every single person who was a tween when this song came out made a "music videos of my childhood" list, I can guarantee that almost everyone would have this video on theirs. I mean, how can you NOT? Everyone has to remember this video that instilled hope for nerdy girls and again, like Tongue Tied, set up a too-good-to-be-true reality for high school parties. Like seriously, I want to live in this video. I feel like the person I would play would be the sax guy.
An honorable mention that I would put here but I REALLY don't want to is Telephone by Lady Gaga. If you've seen the video..you probably already know. I stumbled across that video once when I was younger. The UNCENSORED version, mind you. I never really loved that song ever since, and I think the incident def had something to do with it. I hope that these videos gave you a glimpse into my wonderful childhood. I had a pretty blessed and great one, and these videos made it even better. Hey. So remember once I did that little thing called Discovered On Insta where I reviewed my pals The Assist? I want to do that again, but I haven't really been able to get into any bands that have followed me lately. So, I decided to break past the chains of social media and tell y'all about a band I discovered with the help of a real life event and Shazam. This Wednesday, I went to Atlantic City for the first time ever. I was a little scared, but we didn't really go into any casinos, so it wasn't the whole "dark alleyway full of drunk gamblers asking me for 10 dollars and a toothbrush" picture I had in my head. Instead, we stuck to shopping at the outlets. We went to Bass Pro Shops and it was the COOLEST PLACE EVER. (DISCLAIMER: I don't hunt, and I only fish for fun and ALWAYS throw the fish back into the water so don't get any ideas or think I'm like the guys on Duck Dynasty 'cause I'm not. Bass Pro Shops is just a cool place. Go there, you'll see.) One of the other outlets we went to was the Converse outlet. I have been DYING for a pair of white all-stars that you see almost every white girl walk around in. The store itself and it's outside had a hipster-ish feel and theme, with pictures of rock bands, couples in matching flannels, and cars full of rebellious teens driving around at 3am all rocking the trademark shoes lining the walls. As soon as I noticed this, I had a feeling that the music that they would be playing in there was gonna be something. Sure enough, as soon as I walked in, I heard a song. It sounded indie enough for me to immediately race to the back where the speakers were, pull out my phone, and Shazam away. Two seconds later, a song called Oh Girl by a band with a very alarming name to me called Cut Off Your Hands came up. The reason the name threw me off in the Men's Footwear section was because the song sounded so happy and nice and the band name made me think that this song (and all of their others) had a deeper, darker meaning. I think I might have been wrong there. COYH has been compared to The Smiths, but fortunately for people who don't enjoy the depressing-ness of their lyrics, they are more straightforward and happy. I like that. I feel like the world needs more positive songs, we have enough problems already.
If you want to listen to an album that's peppy, happy, and just about teenage love and the small (but at the time serious) struggles they go through, listen to You & I. Seriously. I want to make a romcom with the soundtrack only being this album. I think it would be perfect. So huge thanks for Converse Atlantic City for playing Oh Girl on July 12th, 2017, at approximately 4pm, because without me hearing and Shazaming it, I wouldn't have discovered these guys! Admit it: there are some albums that you can just listen to again and again..without even realizing it. You don't realize it until you hear a song from that album in public and successfully nail every word, every note, every sound the instruments make. Here are 5 of these albums that have made me experience the above situation, a couple times. Okay, plenty of times. These are in no particular order, by the way. Let's get crackin'! (Psst. Wanna know how pathetic and crap I am at memorizing lyrics? This was originally called "10 Albums I Have Perfectly Memorized.") 5. Bankrupt! by PhoenixIt's hard to really pinpoint when I first heard this album. Was it in 6th grade, where I heard 1901 for the first time in NBA 2k13? No...pretty sure that was before 2013, when this album dropped.. Was it the summer before 7th grade, where I heard Trying to be Cool on a mixtape someone made for some anime character? Probably. When I discovered this album doesn't really matter. All I know is that once I got it on vinyl from some record store in NJ a couple years back, it's all I listened to. I'm pretty sure I can nail the order of the songs perfectly if you asked. Sure..I might not know ALL THE WORDS..but I know the mumbles I make when I hear a phrase I don't know. It's the effort that counts. My favorite song is probably Drakkar Noir, but how can you not love every song on this album?? 4. Funeral by Arcade FireThe summer before high school started was the summer I was completely freakin' obsessed with this album. It was nothing I ever heard before..all the instruments that they used and the fact that they combined classical piano sounds with modern rock amazed me. As depressing as this album is, the songs are amazing and are truly a level of emo that was reached before emo was even emo. This is the rawest Arcade Fire has ever sounded and will ever sound, and I love it. And now..I'm seeing them in September!!! They better play these 10 songs because I. Know. All of them. I doubt they even remember any of them, or anything they did in 2004. I know I don't. My favorite track is Neighborhood #3 or Une Annee Sans Lumiere. I think I chose them because they're the least sad and don't make me think about my past life choices. 3. xx by The xxThis memorization was not done on my own. The fact that I know almost all of the words on this album made me realize I spend wayyy too much time at my art studio because someone is always playing this record there. They're huge fans of The xx and I see why. I turn into Michaelangelo when someone plays them when I'm drawing. I just wanna talk about The xx for a second just to say that THEY ARE MY FRIENDSHIP GOALS TO THE MAX. Look at these pictures. I think their personal lives are a part of the reason why I love their music so much. They're just three besties making lit tunes together. LOOK. AT. THEM. THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS. AAAnyway...my favorite song from this album is Shelter. The way they've been remixing it and having it fade into Loud Places by Jamie xx lately at live shows has been a dream come true! So good. 2. Blurryface by Twenty One PilotsHere come the groans from all of the people that say they don't care about other people's music taste but when it comes to these guys, throw all of their fans under the bus... Call me basic, fake emo, all of the names in the book, but this album is important to me and reminds me of good memories with friends and family. It sounds like countless carpools, studying for finals, drawing in the art room at my school, dance parties in kitchens, chilling by the pool, and showing TOP to other people before they reached peak fame and earning them some crucial fans including my own bro. I'm not as crazy as a TOP fan as I was three years ago, but they still have my respect and this album will always remind me of an influx of good times. And, as hard as some of the lyrics are to memorize and recite, I think I memorized 99.9998% of the words! My favorite track is Not Today by far. 1. I Love You. by The NeighbourhoodI know I said this list wasn't in any order, but when I remembered this album, I knew I had to put it last. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the first albums that introduced me into modern alternative indie rock. I remember buying it on iTunes along with a string of Arctic Monkeys songs and then listening to the whole thing over and over again.
The album is perfect for teens going through their angsty phase: this and Lana Del Rey was a constant force blasting through my gigantic headphones in 7th-8th grade. Even though I'm listening to it almost 5 years later, I still think it's amazing. I always loved the cover: the clouds added to the whole airy sound the album had. I like Wiped Out!, but I Love You. will always be superior according to me. I'd say this album was a pretty great intro for the wonderful world of alt rock and Tumblr life. Listening to it now makes me want to dig through my closet and find my Delia's (before it shut down) black skinny jeans and my orange vans with two pairs of different colored laces on each shoe. Yes. Double laces. On each shoe. My favorite song is and always will be Alleyways. Welp, I hope you enjoyed this list. I recommend all of these albums, even though you all probably have to at least one of them before. Have a nice weekend everyone! Don't get into too much trouble and be careful-there's a lot of bugs out there. Pretty sure I got seven mosquito bites today playing KanJam, even though the game lasted less than 5 minutes. See y'all 'round! Sometimes I see people in bands that I can relate to personality-wise. They're the quiet, anxious type, but with their band members, their best friends, they can let loose and jam out. These are the people that get me inspired, make me think, "Wow, maybe I can be in a band one day!" I am wrong. Very very wrong. There's a lot of reasons why I wouldn't do well in a band. Let's just dive into them. I provided wonderful illustrations that were created by me at 12:30am on some random drawing website. I'll get homesick on tours.I don't really want to go that far for college. I hate sleepovers. When I do go somewhere without my family, I worry about them constantly, even though they probably aren't that worried about me. (Seriously, I called my brother the other day when I was over Liah's house after spending the night telling him I miss him. When I asked him if he missed me, what did he say?? "Nah.") I. Would. Be. HORRIBLE. At being COUNTRIES away from everything I love all by myself when the farthest I've been was upstate. Sure, I'll have my tour and band fam, but I'd probably still cry before and after every single show. Don't get me wrong, Staten Island isn't anything special to miss that much, but when I'm away from it for longer than 2 days the least, I began to miss everything. From Ralph's Ices to SI bagels, to even the crowded mall where you always see someone you know and don't want to mingle with at all. I can't handle criticism.When you're in a band, it's practically a given: someone's gonna hate ya and ya music. In theory, I think I would be fine with it, but I really wouldn't. I really don't like giving bands hate or criticism, because I know how much it hurts me. I'm sure if you're really famous, the hate commentors are just pesky little flies to you at that point. Annoying, but nothing dangerous. I don't feel like I would be able to let those haters off the hook, though. I would NOT let those trolls escape without a long lengthy paragraph about how you should be nice to everyone and how they're losers and I'm out here making moolah and living my life. I'd be crying as I type that, though. I would try to hang out with/get to know as many fans as possible.If this band that I've made up for the sake of this article happens to blow up and fans start hanging outside the venue after our shows, you already know I'm going to chill with all of them. I really would want to bond with every single person I meet, but unfortunately, if you're a big star, sometimes you can't do that. I don't think I would be able to have an official meet-and-greet with fans. It would kinda make me sad to meet someone for a second, exchange a few words, take a pic with them, and have them leave, leaving behind a whole story about how they discovered my music and how it affects them. This is why I'd much rather chill behind gigs for hours talking to as many people as I can for as long as I can. I would NEVER be the type of person to get mad/annoyed with meeting so many people. You have to be excited to meet them and take pics with them; if you say the wrong thing it can crush their world. To you it's just another fan that loves you to death, but to them...you're everything. You have to make it count. Wow, that got deep. In conclusion, I would be too dedicated to fans. Even though this sounds good to the fans, this means more work and stress for me. But it's all worth it, amirite? I would get tired and cranky.Another reason why I hate sleepovers. If anyone tries to get in the way of me falling asleep by giving me uncomfortable sleeping supplies (ex. AIR MATRESSES! I CANNOT SLEEP ON ANYTHING THAT'S NOT A BED, REALLY), or making noise/trying to talk to me/blasting irrelevant music, I turn into a different person. An alter-ego that no one EVER wants to see from me. If my nonexistent band gets a tour bus and stays up into 4am doing something stupid like playing Monopoly, you know I'm gonna pounce. I will yell, rustle the blankets, and drop even more petty hints that I want them to shut up. This will probably annoy everyone. And jet lag, OOooohhhhhhHHHHhH noooooOOOOO jet lag. I get so bad on planes. My ears hurt 70% of the time, I always have to get up to pee, and I'm probably gonna have a claustrophobia-induced panic attack if the flight is longer than 6 hours. This will drive everyone up the wall as well. There are some pros, though...I don't drink alcohol. I have never done drugs. Kids can look up to me. I'm all for girl power. People would make funny memes and fan accounts of me. I enjoy having Twitter convos. I'll get a lot of Instagram likes. Fanart! I'd like to think of myself as a normal, down-to-earth person and not at all a raging narcissist, so as long as I'm not full of myself I think people would like me and feel comfortable around me. I can meet other bands and become friends with them. This all seems like enough reason to be in a band, but there's one huge problem that ruins it all..... I can't play an instrument. Besides clarinet.I'd never in a MILLION YEARS become a singer. I played clarinet in the school band up until high school, so I haven't even touched one in almost 3 years. I'd love to take lessons to learn to play the bass or drums or something, but I simply don't have ANY time on my hands. Maybe one day, when I quit sports, quit art, quit going to school and studying, and quit going to other sporting events. Oh, what a life that would be.
The idea of just BEING in a band sounds great to me, but I think I should just leave it as a fantasy. Oh well, so what if I'm not cut out for the showbiz life? At least I'll always be considered a "Squidward" to all of my friends. When I was 11, my family and I started going to Vermont with my dad's friends and their families every August. We always had the best times there: we fished, we went tubing, we drank the best milkshakes. We also may have encountered many bugs and water that smells like eggs, but still, Vermont trips hold the best memories and the most scenic atmosphere. We haven't gone since 2015, mainly because dad's friends are having more kids, and because I started high school and sports and stress. This is the Comeback of the Century here. I need some songs that would provide a fun and relaxing mood while I sit at the lake: fishing, swimming in a tube, reflecting on nature. This proved to be a lot harder than it seems. I STARTED gathering some songs that I think would sounds good sitting at a lake...a lot of those songs are by Twin Peaks. I love their music and I feel like a lot of their songs have that garage, lo-fi feel. I feel like that would be appropriate for a lake setting. Here's an example of one of their songs. Come on. Just listen to it. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself. On. A. Lake. Doesn't it seem so perfect? I feel like a lot of the bands I put on this playlist so far kind of have a vibe already. Listen to this song by Hippo Campus I put on there. I sense that there's a vibe here, but I don't know how to use a single word to coherently describe it. I'll try the best that I can. Maybe "garage lo-fi small indie post punk chill teen rock." There. Hey, I said I'll try my best. I never said my best was amazing.
If you're willing to help me build this playlist, here are the songs I have so far. Listen to those, and then if you have a song that sounds similar to the vibe I've created, tell me! Comment on this post, tweet me, anything. It doesn't matter if it's one song or a whole artist. If any bands you like first the genre I tried to describe in quotations earlier, send them my way, too. The trip is in August, so I have a lot of time. Help a girl out please, and thank you in advance! For the longest time, I've been in dire need of new, fresh indie music from small bands and young artists. I want to surround myself with chill bands with songs that I can play in the background when my friends come over and they can ask "Wow, this is siiiick. Alli, your music taste is so gnarly. Who is this individual singing this song?"
Ok, maybe that conversation won't happen in that exact way using that exact outdated slang terminology. But, getting back on track, I think I found an EP this week that hits the jackpot. That EP is Cavalier by Henry James Patterson! He was in one of my favorite new breakout bands Early Eyes, but he left to venture on his magical solo journey. And these 6 songs (that were actually made in 2015!) prove how magical it has been. So without further ado let's give it a listen, shall we? Cover: First, let's look at the cover. I like this cover, I find it simple and indie-ish. For some reason indie stuff is associated with notebooks, I think? That drawing is also very cute. Overall, it feels very carefree, like you're doodling in school. Watch me, I might find myself recreating this cover in trig class next year! Tigerstripe: The guitar in the beginning of this song reminded me of the beginning of The Good Life by Weezer. This is a great thing because I love the sound of the guitar in that song. It sounds rough and raw, but in a good way. The guitar isn't meant to be loud or overpowering in these songs, it just wants to sound calm and set an easygoing stage for the rest of the song. I felt like the guitar did a good job in this song! I felt very chill for those 4 minutes and 14 seconds. Like everything in my life was gonna work out. This song would be absolutely perfect for the situation I described in my intro. When I listened to it for the first time, I pictured hanging around my future dorm room with friends, all different kinds. Friends that are couples, and friends that are single and are just havin' a grand ol' time. College is two years away for me, so maybe this is a good omen! This songs just brings good vibes all around. Windbreaker: First we have me making a Weezer comparison, now I'm gonna make another comparison to The Strokes. I swore I heard a little bit of the trademark Strokes Guitar Sound™ a little bit, but that may just be me. Also, Henry sounded like Julian Casablancas in this one. Again, maybe just to me, because I'm a weird, annoying person who loves making comparisons. The lyrics of this song inspired me. After listening to it, I felt a sense of adventure flood me. I kinda wanted to put on some quickly worn out jeans (totes not a reference to the lyrics just now), grab some converse sneakers, and explore the parts of this island I've never seen before. Even though I'm scared to do that. Like I said, this song made me adventurous! Someone: Okay, I can REALLY relate to this song. I like almost all of the music I hear on a daily basis. Liah sometimes yells at me for liking crappy bands that she hates. Yell at me all you want brah, because, like Henry preaches in this song, "I don't even mind if her music is bad!" Her being...anyone really. Listen, I just want a song I could relate and feel things and maybe even jam out to! This song checks off all of those boxes. I feel like this song could really be a hit in the alt world. I can picture it playing on SiriusXMU, or something. Come on, it's so catchy! I know it's gonna be stuck in my head for ages, but honestly, I don't care. I'll proudly sing it loudly. Lowdown: I can hear a lot of different things in this song. I hear Cage The Elephant, a lil' bit of Twin Peaks, maybe even The Killers....but, you know what? It sounds like HJP. I feel like even though I have only heard a couple of his songs, Henry has already made his mark on my taste in music. Maybe one day, when I'm reviewing another album, I'll go "Hey, this sounds like Henry James Patterson! Particularly his Cavalier EP...." It can happen. I think this is my favorite song on the album. It makes me sad because it's short, but I feel like he packed a lot of emotions, thoughts, and riffs into those nearly 3 minutes. Quality tune, indeed! Latenite: I'm gonna be honest. This is really the perfect coming of age/reflecting on life song that this world needed. I'm ready to produce and start in a music video for this song where it's me walking, gazing at the night sky, staring into a quiet lake, reflectingggg. (If you can't tell I enjoy using that word.) I really enjoyed the piano, and the lyrics were amazingly written and hit hard at times. "Staying up late isn't cool anymore" was one that I felt personally affected by. Everyone stays up late now. It's kind of a bad thing. It isn't fifth grade where my friends and I were cool because we saw the sun rise at a sleepover! Ugh. I hate being old. Wildflower: I'm really surprised I haven't heard this song in either an American Eagle, an Urban Outfitters, or, like a Surf Taco yet. Also, I feel like if this song came out in 2005, it would have played on a Zoey 101. That is a TOTAL compliment because I LOVED the music they played in the background of that show. Just watch an episode. You'll know what I mean. I can see this song becoming a hit, as well. It's a summer song. I know this because when I listen to it I miss California and now I want to go surfing and also I want a smoothie. Ya see what I mean? The little part at the end was a perfect conclusion to the album, I believe. It was short, sweet, and sincere, just like the rest of these songs. Final Thoughts: I have this stigma about solo albums that they're too long, whiny, or just plain depressing. Don't know why, it's just there. I didn't know what to expect from this album, but if I did had expectations, this EP would have smashed all of them. I felt that the songs were a perfection representation of teen life these days: love, friends, having good times, but also struggling with your own thoughts a little. It's all okay in the end though, and you will always make it out alive. All of these ideas were expressed over original and fresh tunes. I really enjoyed this album, and HJP, I expect great things in the near future! Stay awesome, my dude. |