One Hit Wonder?
This is a One Hit Album and you are better off just buying “Pumped Up Kicks” and saving your money on the rest or just buy the EP that they put out because those are the best three songs (Helena Beat, Pumped Up Kicks, Houdini). The rest of the album is quite lackluster and mediocre. It is not as if the other songs are awful or embarrassing or anything but no one would have noticed this band if not for the amazing song Pumped Up Kicks. Many of the other songs are actually piano led instead of the synth and bass delight fed by Pumped UP Kicks. The vocals are actually not that great without the talk box effect on them. This album also seems like it could be one that you would dance to and groove with, but most of the songs are just observed rather than participated in.
The Good!
Pumped Up Kicks is an amazing song and towers over the other songs on the album. The rest of the album plays around with many different sounds in the electronic digital world. Randomly, random noises are used to add excitement to the sound. The vocals are pretty solid throughout but sound the best with the talk box effect on them.
The Bad...
With such a great and amazing song you go into the album hoping for something incredible. You go into it expecting great treasures and gems inside but the chest you saw was the best that was offered. The other songs on the album lack intensity, and mystery and often chords are just hammered out. I do not like the crunchy and dirty guitar power chords played in ‘Don’t Stop.’ Also they add noises like monkeys, giggles and screaming which is just used to make the music feel big at times
Overall?
1.5 out of 5. I really just wasn’t impressed. I was excited, I was pumped, but ultimately I was let down by mediocre songs that were hard to listen through. After I would get to the 4th song I would really just want to go back to song number two. Oh, I would have given the EP a 4 out of 5 because those were the only good songs on this extended album and again Pumped Up Kicks makes up 3.5 of that rating. It may not be quite as bad as I am making it out to be but I was really hoping for so much more from this album.
I feel like your expectations were probably way too high, because I really have enjoyed this album. Granted, I'm more the type to listen to an album all the way through and because of this often can't distinguish individual tracks from the whole, but it's been some great summer driving tunes for me. Which is, essentially, the only time I actually designate for music listening. Too bad you didn't like it at all, because I thought it was pretty great.
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