Off The Deep End
Band: The Friday Night Boys
Album: Off The Deep End
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Release Date: June 9, 2009
Producer: Emanuel Kiriakou
Not many bands can pull off pop rock to the extreme like The Friday Night Boys. After listening to their first full-length album, Off The Deep End, more times than necessary, I am convinced of one thing: fans are going to eat this up. And even if you roll your eyes at this genre of music, FNB masters their craft so well that non-listeners could easily become closet fans. I am instantly deeming this album as my new guilty pleasure.
Pop rock can be difficult to master nowadays with all of the different blends of talent and labels that are stapled to musicians’ foreheads. Though closely related in sound, you have to admit that acts like The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus have completely different fan bases than groups like Fall Out Boy and Hey Monday. Somehow music becomes less about sound and more about appearance and your record label/management team. FNB teeters on this boundary of kid-pop and more mature pop/punk with relatable lyrics, strong guitar riffs, and more rock-based drum beats. I will admit that it was genius of them to have their new album produced by Emanuel Kiriakou, who has worked with such musicians as Jesse McCartney, Jordin Sparks, and Ashley Tisdale. The Friday Night Boys have the necessary talent at their fingertips, the appropriate following, and the look that sells. All they needed was a push in toward the successful direction, and I’d say they achieved that quite well.
The opening track, “Permanent Heartbreak” has been playing in my head since the band released it on their myspace. Tongue-in-cheek lyrics don't usually flow well for me, but frontman Andrew Goldstein proudly wears his heart on his sleeve. The song contains the perfect combination of slightly distorted guitars, drum beats that you can’t help but tap your foot to, strategically placed synth effects, and melodies that will resonate in your skull for months. Oh, and I can’t forget that guitar solo that makes me thankful for bands who still care to showcase their talents instead of tossing in a repetitive breakdown to take up 30 seconds of the track.
The next three songs are catchy and definitely fit in with the overall sound of the album, but none of them stand out in a notable fashion. “Stupid Love Letter” sounds like a last minute filler track that was thrown together in the studio. I could be wrong about that, but it is repetitive and doesn’t contain any noteworthy or unique elements. “Suicide Sunday” has harmonious lyrics that will make you sing along while wondering how this song got into your head in the first place. Like all of the ballads on this album, I am not crazy about “Finding Me Out.” They are a bit boring and drawn-out. The piano melodies are enjoyable, though.
I love to hate and hate to love the track “Stuttering.” I can’t put my finger on why this song is so damn catchy. It could be the clever lyrics or memorable melodies and broken words that Goldstein incorporates with such a natural ease. As for my other favorite track, “Hollow” ...can you say radio worthy? This chorus has a punch to it that separates it from the rest of the album. The following three songs are decent, but I’m not in love. “Molly Makeout,” while having catchy background vocals, is a little too pop for my taste. Not to mention the lyrics are borderline cheesy. “Sorry I Stole Your Gurl” is an incredible way to round out this 12-track album, though. The electronic elements and effects add a nice touch to this already addictive tune. I could do without the whispering in the second verse, though. With that being said, the guitar solo shortly afterward makes up for any lyrical nonsense.
From their appearance on TRL’s On Your Radar over a year ago to their swift signing to Fueled By Ramen, The Friday Night Boys have been blowing fans away with their upbeat tunes and melodious lyrics since 2006. The impending success of this quartet from Fairfax ,Va. is almost inevitable. Pop music can be annoying and overdone, but this album side-steps those aspects with ease. Besides a few ballads that aren’t up to par, I would gladly recommend this album to a friend. Kudos to you, FNB, for creating an album that I could listen to over and over again.
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