Every Avenue - Shh. Just Go With It Review

Every Avenue - Shh. Just Go With It

Rating

RIYL

Motion City Soundtrack
The Higher
Daphne Loves Derby
Cartel

Label

Fearless

Tracklist

1. Days of the Old
2. This One’s A Cheap Shot
3. Where Were You?
4. Think of You Later (Empty Room)
5. A Story to Tell Your Friends
6. Boys Will Be Boys
7. Take A Step Back
8. Trading Heartbeats
9. Freak Out!
10. Between You And I
11. Chasing The Night

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Tip of the cap to Fearless Records. Just when the world of the sugar coated seemed to be solely fueled by Wentz, this label has consistently turned out great releases, most recently in the form of Mayday Parade and The Maine, and now Every Avenue step up to bolster their ranks.

Pop punk that's sparing with the punk and heavy on the pop poses two problems. Firstly, unless you know your way around a melody, your hooks are going to be pretty blunt by track three. Infectious pop is something attempted by many, mastered by few. Secondly, unless you're really good, you certainly run the risk of limiting your fanbase to teen girls and the guys that wear their jeans. And whilst this is a lucrative demographic, it ain't winning credibility any time soon.

So how does Every Avenue address this dilemma, I hear you cry? By making one of the most immediate and infectious records of the year so far. Shh. Just Go With It is an unabashedly fun album, each track resonating with a joyous energy that rarely occurs organically nowadays. While the production is certainly slick, and the harmonies are arranged to perfection, there is a certain honesty and passion lurking behind the bubblegum that sets Every Avenue apart from the rest.

Tracks like “This One’s a Cheap Shot” and “Where Were You” should be used as examples to future acts on how to make good pop music. Without getting into a lecture on the inner intricacies of a good pop song, Every Avenue are seemingly studious scholars of the art, maintaining a consistency of glorious gems most bands can’t keep going over the course of an EP.

Lead singer David Ryan, without wanting to play favorites, is a major integral piece to the band's appeal, with a hugely soulful voice and impressive range that should see him up there with the Stumps and Pughs in the mental tick list of ‘finery amongst the whinery’ (that’s a trademark, bub). His vocals compliment the bubbly synths and bouncy guitars brilliantly and further drive home the infectious nature of this disc.

It almost feels like a disservice to refer to “Between You and I” as ‘the customary ballad’, but amidst its upbeat neighbors, it does stick out slightly. But the aforementioned honesty and passion shine bright on this track and make it one of the stand out tracks. A gorgeous track, reminiscent of Anberlin’s "Inevitable", the relatively sparse backing compared with the rest of the album works wonderfully in letting Ryan’s vocals lead the emotive charge.

If you have no background in pop, no closeted love for late 90s boy bands or just a general craving for melody, then Every Avenue are not for you. But if you own a smile, and want the music you listen to to bring that grin out once in a while, go pick up this record.

--Alex Davies