With the inundation of releases out there, it’s hard for one person to keep track of what’s coming out. But I knew this was coming out and I wanted it. I wanted it bad like a little girl getting her first package from the Backstreet Boys fan club. With the release date looming close, I put in an investigative call to Todd Taylor to see if a review copy had been sent to HQ. I wanted first dibs. Not that I really had to put a request for it—the man takes good care of me—but a lot of releases that I would like either get nabbed by the music monster Jimmy Alvarado or divided amongst the masses of other contributors. So one cannot be greedy and I have to suck it up and spend some hard-earned cash. So, on my bi-monthly pilgrimage to the shrine of Razorcake to pick up my copies of the latest issue sits a copy of this CD in my in-box. I wet myself. Damn bladder. Need to have that checked! In the time it takes me to get from HQ to my car, I already had the package ripped open with my teeth and ready to listen to. Anticipation. I really enjoyed their debut EP, Worst Enemy. That release probably stayed in the car a good six months. I am a little slow rotating CDs in and out of the car. “Saturday” is the first track and right there I knew that I was not going to be disappointed. It’s got bigger production than in the past but more energetic. A fun, rocking tune that made my head bop and at the same time be swayed by their ska/reggae breakdowns. My favorite track, “Runaway,” is solid and you can feel the emotions of lost love on it. Breaking away from the mold, “Ticking Bombs” is a wonderful acoustic number that really focuses on the beauty of the vocals and the harmonies. That right there is what makes this band so exciting. Also, songs like “No Hay Perdon” and “Donde Voy” show that they are proud of their Latin heritage. From an Asian-American perspective, the Spanish language sounds wonderful with music. From start to finish, in my opinion, there not a stinker in the bunch. Now it’s time to see what the hell’s wrong with the bladder.
–don (Side One Dummy)