Bad Suns: Language and Perspective

            Language and Perspective is Bad Suns’ first album and this definitely set them up for success.  Each song perfectly transitions into the next, showcasing what the band has to offer.  The tempo of the album stays constant and with addition of the lead singer’s vocals, the album is new and unique.  This album is about making mistakes but the album somehow has an upbeat feel.  The combination is alluring.  Somehow the music is melancholy and cheerful all at once.  It almost reminds me of the Littmus Lonzenges in Because of Winn-Dixie, a juxtaposition of sweet and sad that people still love.  The combination of finding oneself and surviving the mistakes one makes with the lead singer Christo Bowman’s unbelievable vocal range is an unforgettable combination.

            Christo Bowman has a very distinctive voice that immediately lures in people and establishes the band’s style from the very first word.  His voice is characterized by his higher pitch that somehow maintains a very masculine feel, and his middle range is what would make any person weak in the knees.  The back-up vocal from Gavin Bennett (the bassist), and Ray Libby (the guitarist) add to the alternative sound of the band and create a fuller sound to the music.  The addition of their sound layers on top of the main vocals and the music, filling in the empty space, completing the song.  Another very characteristic part of each song is the drum’s beat.  Drummer Miles Morris has a new and interesting beat for every song and adds the percussion into each song seamlessly.  All of the band member’s skills together make a sound that is very rock but also very alternative. 

The unique qualities that the album possesses make it very hard to classify.  From the upbeat tempo of the songs, to the distinctive vocals, Bad Suns is very diverse.  They utilize influences from rock and alternative music through instrument choice and musicality.  The songs utilize the most crucial of instruments; drums, guitar, and tambourine.  This set up gives the songs a similar vibe to most rock songs but the addition of technologically manipulated guitar sounds and of shakers adds to the alternative side.  Also the main vocalist’s voice is so unique that no matter what he sang, it would be interesting and new.

Due to the unique style of the band, it drew in a few members of the alternative rock genre but I feel that most were from the alternative genre as a whole.  With such an interesting and new sound, the alternative audience seems like a more interested audience.  The style of the band as a whole, physically and musically is what would have brought the alternative rock crowd.  Bad Suns emulates stereotypical alternative rock/ punk band through their wardrobe and instrumentation.  These qualities draw in a very diverse range of listeners.  Overall, this band is something unexpected for its genre and it couldn’t have been better.  The new sound draws in a new audience and in my opinion, makes the band more appealing because its setting trends in the music world.

            Bad Sun’s writes their songs with a chronological order in mind, so that each listener can hear it the way it was intended to be listened to.  The track list seems to have none of that significance if only the lyrics are analyzed but from the way each song leads to the next musically, it is easier to see.  They also wove in three songs that had been previously released on their debut EP; “Cardiac Arrest”, “Transpose”, and “Salt”.             

“Cardiac Arrest” is the only song released as a single before the album was released.  This song made billboards top 20 and was even featured in iTunes’ featured free artists sections for a week.  This song is what Bad Suns is usually known by and there’s a reason behind it.  It’s the most iconic song on the album, showcasing the best of the band’s talent, while also providing a catchy chorus and beat.  This is a song anyone can sing along to and it is reminiscent of a summery day at the beach.  Bad Suns became my obsession once I discovered this song. 

Another track that showcases the best of Bad Suns is the “We Move Like the Ocean.”  This track is about losing one’s direction and living on auto-pilot.  It describes the feeling of becoming so lost that its overwhelming and almost feels like drowning in an ocean that you once conquered.  Musically, this song is one of the slower tracks but the chorus still has an upbeat tempo and lamenting but stunning vocals.  This song is the second on the album, coming right before “Cardiac Arrest”, which brings up the cheerfulness. 

“Rearview” is the last track but it definitely deserves recognition.  This song ends the album appropriately by describing having to let go of the past.  It describes seeing the sunset in the rearview mirror and realizing that once everything changes, it stops feeling familiar.  The song starts with reverberating guitar, where the chords are very commanding of attention.  As the intro progresses, the beat is established and Christo comes in with his stunning vocals.  The constant repetition of the same three chords by the guitar creates the perfect tempo for the song, ending the album with a fast paced beat.

Uniqueness in a band’s sound makes it equally harder and easier to classify.  For example, unique voices like Amy Winhouse established her as a jazz artist.  Similarly, Bowman’s voice establishes him as alternative and post-punk but the band’s music conflicts with that assumption.  The music is very much alternative rock because it utilizes the themes of rock but the overall sound never reaches the intensity of a true rock song.  Through comparing every aspect of this album and its contents, it’s fair to say that it is alternative rock.  It also needs to be said that this can easily fall under the alternative category and draw in that audience.  With such an array of genric influence, this album is new and enticing and highly recommended.  

Would you explore a new artist in the type of music you like if they strayed from the norm?

Fall Out Boy Save Rock and Roll

             Fall Out Boy’s Save Rock and Roll is their saving grace from the dismal fate of band breakup.  This album was the spark they needed to spread across the nation like a wildfire.  Their music infiltrated every radio station and made it to number one on the Billboard top 100 within the first week of sales.  Coming back from the radio silence that had haunted Fall Out Boy fans since the 2008 Folie a Deux, this album couldn’t have been a better starting point for the rest of their career. 

            Patrick Stump is accredited for the break up of Fall Out Boy but is also largely given credit for bringing them back.  Stump is the person blamed for separating the band because he wanted to pursue a solo career.  Pete Wentz, the bassist, pursued fatherhood during this time and Joe Trohman and Andrew Hurley, the guitarist and drummer joined the heavy metal band The Damned Things.  Somehow during this five year break the band became even more talented.  The release of Save Rock and Roll in 2013 marked the day that all was forgiven, because it’s impossible to listen to this compilation of songs and not feel satisfied.  This album was worth the wait, making up for all the lost time by being completely modern but still including the true Fall Out Boy style.

            Save Rock and Roll is an ambiguous title for an album that isn’t even completely a rock album.  The music is largely pop and alternative rock but the title reveals a theme for the album lyrically.  Fall Out Boy organized the songs in a specific order to tell a story of revival and mistakes.  The story revolves around the idea of being young and falling in love and causing chaos.  And although this story has been told a million times, the musicality of this album from the first second gets you hooked.  So for the purpose of truly appreciating the album, I will overlook the arguable title. 

            Each song’s placement in the album was well thought out and contributes to the success of the album.  For example the opening number "The Phoenix" begins with suspenseful violins and leads into a high tempo song.  Patrick Stump’s iconic voice starts the song with a cry to put on your warpaint and is backed up by a steady drumbeat.  This song showcases the amazing vocals and tempo that the rest of the album builds on.  Another strategic element of this song is the name.  The image of a phoenix symbolizes the return of Fall Out Boy from the ashes of their success and reminds everyone that they won’t ever truly be able to dissipate from the music world. 

            The guitar and drum rhythm continue to keep the beat of the music fast paced and exhilarating as it transitions into "Young Volcanoes" and "Alone Together."  The music is so upbeat that it mimics the story behind the album, of being young and reckless and accepting the horrible mistakes that they make with ease.  Each song talks about a terrible love story where there’s a mutual attraction but both parties are careless in their actions.  This complete shift of topic is quite abrupt.  The album comes to a climax at "My Songs Know What you Did in the Dark", where Stump’s soaring vocals cry out the iconic line ‘Light ‘em up.’  He is describing how his music can see where his love interest is betraying him.  And the next song is The Mighty Fall, describing the fall for the girl.  This is also the first song that has a featured artist in the sequence,

            Four out of the Eleven songs on Save Rock and Roll feature a famous artist, including the key song of the album.  The artists that feature are from an array of genres, such as the alternative artist Foxes and the rapper Big Sean.  It also includes music legends Courtney Love and Elton John.  Including these artists wasn’t just a whim for Fall Out Boy but an intentional move to promote their album.   Bringing in a variety of artists draws in a broader group of listeners and with that comes more publicity.  This ensured the success of Save Rock and Roll and made this album one to remember.  Having matchups like this was unheard of and now people can hear the iconic Fall Out Boy jam with Elton John in Save Rock and Roll and hear the collaboration between rap music and rock.  These features were a major publicity scheme but this album became legendary because of it. 

            This entire album was immortalized when Fall Out Boy did a music video for every single song.  The songs didn’t truly have any chronological order but the videos put a cohesive story behind the music.  I will say that the videos are gory and slightly explicit (but what isn’t these days).  Now people can experience the beauty of this album through the music and visually through a video storyline. 

Would you be able to relate to the recklessness of love as told by Fall Out Boy or is it just storytelling in song form?

Youngblood Chronicles: Compilation of every video in order