Maybe it's because I've been fans of them for so long now or because "The Fabulist" is easily top 5 best songs of the year so far, but I'm completely enamored with the newest release from Minnesota's Charlie Siren. There's been a decent gap since the band's last release and in that time we've seen a little bit of shuffling around, but Mood Swings is a massive success on every level from the boys from Minnesota. Whether is the sing-a-long choruses, the harmonized guitar riffs that shred through nearly every song, the whimsical nostalgic bridges and outros, the insane doubletime, or some of the truly finest drumming the Midwest has produced with a smattering of your daily dose of double base, this album is ripe for pop punk fans to enjoy.
The first two songs are a true testament to the right way to start off a record. "Twenty-Five" is a fast paced gem about knowing you're right where you want to be with your life that seems to be over just about the second you really get into it. That transitions into "The Fabulist," the fantastic beast of a song that might not be so superb if it wasn't for it's synth layered, harmony rich, early 00s pop punk royalty sounding chorus that repeat buttons were invented for, only topped of by the Four Year Strong style of increasingly more fervent shouting in the bridge.
Within the middle of the song "Unforgiving" beholds the next great beautiful moment of this record; the blended melodic guitars accented with some malleted xylophone-esq action over chugging and an intricate beat that plays off both parts in perfection lead up to a sing-a-long that will have every crowd of fans leaving with sore throats. The song "So Long" is reminiscent of older Rufio not only in speed but in terms of guitar riffs and lyrical progressions, both excellent qualities to take on. That's not to say the entire record is fast either. "Small-Minded & Selfish" is a slower and entirely acoustic ballad near the end of the record. The song that follows immediately after, "Cravenness," besides having some of the best guitar work on the record outside the solo on "Pull Me Up", has the most melodic and beautiful post chorus buildup I've heard in a while.
Mood Swings has its fault just like any other record, but they are minor and few and far between. The most major is that title track is very poppy and though it splits the aggressiveness and speed of the record up well, it is so significantly different that it feels misplaced in this collection of songs. It's still a great tune and shows that the band can fill the entire range of pop punk and isn't pigeonholed with being fast, technical, and focused on only doing what they do best. Mood Swings is a massive success, one the band should be very proud of and one that should catapult them up the ladder of popularity in the scene. Charlie Siren is a band you'll no doubt be hearing the name of further down the road. Go on, be an early adopter.
The band will be donating 50% of the album's sales for the first month after its release to the non-profit organization: My Pit Bull Is Family.
Tracklist:
1. Twenty-Five
2. The Fabulist
3. Pull Me Up
4. Unforgiving
5. Mood Swings
6. So Long
7. Moral Abdication
8. Small-Minded & Selfish
9. Cravenness
10. Indigent Mindset
RIYL: Fireworks, The Starting Line, Four Year Strong
Rating:
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