September 2008 Archive |
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The Academy Is...
Fast Times At Barrington High
Review By Andy Argyrakis
Chicago-based breakthrough act The Academy Is… sure has come a long way since playing basement parties, VFW halls and colleges alongside fellow hometown heroes Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s. Nowadays, the group is more frequently found in massive theatres or even arenas, plugging in with its bubbly pop/punk sounds with cuts from Fast Times At Barrington High likely to extend its mainstream reach even further. Though audience expansion is certainly an important component to progress, the fivesome appears to have taken a slight step backward in the sonic department, turning a series of ultra simple (albeit catchy) radio ditties.
Unlike the radical growth from 2005’s undercooked Almost Here to 2007’s more experimental Santi, its current collection (which takes its title from the ’80s flick Fast Times at Ridgemont High) is tailor made for the radio in more predictable formats. “Summer Hair = Forever Young” is a polished to squeaky clean proportions, but lacks lyrical substance in favor of teen-targeted clichés. “His Girl Friday” is even more peppy, but lacks the raw flavor of a The Academy Is… concert.
There are some glimpses of a more productive direction, such as the more melodic alt-rocker “Rumored Nights,” along with the southern-streaked touches throughout “Automatic Eyes.” It’s a shame those moments are marred by the juvenile “Crowded Room” or the emo-like annoyance of “After the Last Midtown Show,” with other tracks like the hooky “One More Weekend” and the percussion charger “Beware! Cougar!” demonstrating promise, but still failing to reach its full potential. What The Academy Is…may have lost in indie cred, it’s sure to make-up in watered down appeal to the masses, but hopefully the band can strike a better balance between both worlds after graduating from this era.
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