What we thought:
It’s no secret that we enjoy us some Shortstraw here at Channel24. They’re an irreverent and gregarious bunch of guys who make catchy songs and silly videos that make us laugh. We’ve told you this before. But this album is a step-up, to us, they’ve really laid a claim to being a modern successor to the pop-punk throne that used to rule the land and it makes us so happy. Because: memories and smiles.
Let us paint a picture, especially for some of our younger readers who might not remember: way back in the early 2000s bands like Simple Plan, Good Charlotte and Sum41 were all you heard in skate parks and malls alike from Cape Town to Tshwane. Some of them even flew to our sunny shores to play a few sold out shows. We never got Blink 182 or Green Day or anything, but hey, Fall Out Boy wasn’t bad. Anyway, what we’re saying is, in our day, if you were having girl or boy problems, flat ironed your hair and knew three guitar chords, like-minded-folk weren’t far away. This album reminds us of those days with a modern and local twist that rounds out the sound and makes it that little more current. We dig it. If you’re really into Lana Del Rey or someone else (who is a bit sad right now), you might not.
Best track:
The album is bookmarked by songs called "Youthless" and "Good Winter" respectively which are beautifully put together. A bit like a warm up and a cool down. They get a honourable mention. But our favourite track is "Say Anything" because of a lot of things like that beat and how relatable it is but especially because it refers to the movie of the same name which is a pure classic.
Worst track:
"High School". It’s actually a pretty loud killer track. Sounds a bit like The Hives with a hip-hop twist but it reminds us of our own high school experience which was a total four-year-long-nightmare. So we’re skipping it right now, because those particular flashbacks suck.
Sounds like:
We’ve said it before but it bears repeating: it sounds like all the good things. ALL. OF. THEM.
Download the album on iTunes here.