Album Review : 5 Seconds of Summer

Album Review     :       5 Seconds Of Summer

Artist                 :       5 Seconds Of Summer

Genre                :       Pop

Boy band may come and go.  Unlike with rock bands, they have shorter shelf life and very often they are considered as a fad.  It could be that this group of individual performers were gathered by record label as opposed to rock bands whose members were together from the start and initiated to create their own band.  Thus, there are the usual conflicts boy bands are known for.  5 Seconds Of Summer follows the same path like that of One Direction.  Thus, it is hard to imagine that the group has something unique to offer.

“She Looks So Perfect,” the opening song seems to have a promise.  It is a song that combines pop and a little bit of rock.  The kind of song that Jack White, Imagine Dragons, and Linkin Park might want to have as fillers on their respective records.  In “Don’t Stop,” you have a song that might their way on Oasis and Weezer.  It bears the same trademark of raw guitar and standard drums not programmed one.  This is a good song to perform in live performance and usually audiences will sing and jump along with it.  The lure of having pure bubble gum pop in this album is still resisted by the time you listen to “Good Girls.”  The only problem is that, the song might have worked well had it been performed by a band member who has a voice that can really rock.

In “Kiss Me, Kiss Me,” you have a situation where this boy band tries to be really different with One Direction and other pop singers right now.  However, you have a mix genre here of rock and pure pop.  The guitar riff is excellent; it is strummed like 90’s alternative rock.  The song “18” quickly return to its form of avoiding the path of pop; this time you get the feeling that Blink 182 is performing this song.  It has similar structure with “All The Small Things.”  You might want to think that this is a tribute song of 5 Seconds of Summer to Blink 182 because of the title of the song.

Finally, the dreaded pop song finally reveals in the song “Everything I Didn’t Say.”  While towards the middle of the song it shifts back to rock, however, the melody and instruments bridging from chorus to verses or stanzas, can be compared with some of the generic songs produced for boy bands and other pop artists.  You can’t help saying that this song might also be one of the rejects in the latest albums of Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry.  There is an attempt to show how talented this group is with “Beside You.”  It mashes a little bit of reggae, pop, and rock.  However, the whole song did not add value to it, as it is still pure pop.  However, this is a good pop song though but not too radio friendly.

“End Up Here” might be a realization song.  The band might have realized that they have to offer something thus they go back to rock genre in this song.  This time the vocal is perfect; it is like listening to Gallagher brothers.  “Long Way Home” reminds of Alanis Morissette’s “Thank You.”  The song utilizes the piano to introduce the song then progresses to guitar and drums.  “Heartbreak” feels like a New Wave Song and Allternative Rock rolled into one.  The stamp of “One Direction” is very evident with “English Love Afffair.”  You might think that this song must have been intended for that band.  It has more or less similar structure with “What Makes You Beautiful.” “Amnesia” is an exercise of having a ballad infused with country music elements; it works somehow but also seems to be misplaced in this record.  The producers could have fashion a song similar to “Wonderwall” if they want to showcase band’s ability to deliver a slow song.

“Social Casualty” is a bit promising as a rock classic due to its guitar intro.  However, they opted to create a song that merges Linkin Park, Imagine Dragon, and their own brand of pop performance.  Teenage pop is very evident in “Never Be,” a song that might find its’ way among horny male teenagers.  “Voodoo Doll” is an excellent song; nice guitar intro, then slowly progress into an upbeat song with lyrics witty enough telling someone “won’t you stop loving me today.”  “Greenlight” is a statement song for the band.  It proudly declares that 5 Seconds of Summer is more than a boy band.  They can also be a rock band.

As a whole, the record is good and ideal for listeners who want to hear more than pop songs when it comes to boy bands.   I rate this album 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.