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The Revolution Smile - Summer Ever

Rating

RIYL

Year of the Rabbit
Failure
Hum
Shiner

Tracklist

1. Summer Ever
2. Are You Awake?
3. I Was A Werewolf
4. Ringwald
5. Destination Isolation
6. Maybe, Baby
7. Fate
8. When Love Was Dead
9. Recover
10. Move South
11. The State We’re In
12. Positive.Negative
13. Nice Talking To You
14. My Skin Is Thicker Than I Wanted

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Let's face facts, folks. The only people who ever listened to The Revolution Smile are people who haven't accepted that Far broke up, who also happen to be the same people that bought Gratitude's album last year. Is it fair to the band that they'll always be known as Shaun Lopez of Far and Friends? Not really. However, the group's previous efforts have never really given anyone anything to write home about. A few solid songs here and there, but mostly, The Revolution Smile just proved that you only listened to Far for Jonah Matranga.

With the release of their latest album, Summer Ever, the group finds itself staring out at a field they've never seen before. For once, the more rock-out moments don't come across as lame, trite, or out of place. They fit and, for once, they work. Nothing on Water and Solutions was worse than hearing Lopez try to interject some aggression into the tunes. Lopez, on Summer Ever, has finally figured out how to do all of this gracefully and it may finally signal the long-awaiting split between Shaun Lopez the musician and Shaun Lopez, the other guy from Far, as this album truly stands on its own two badass feet, even if he does help himself to heaping doses of post-Failure Ken Andrews idolatry in order to come to this final product. Fact: Summer Ever is what Year of the Rabbit should have sounded like.

Many of the tracks on the record could easily become radio fare. The band has always, despite its many uninspired moments, had a knack for writing a rocking radio tune. This album, though, is packed to the brim with them. After my misadventure with the radio the other day, which involved the tragic accidental listening of "Stupify" by Disturbed, I would gladly, gladly take "Ringwald," "Destination Isolation," "Maybe, Baby," or any other track, really, over anything that I've been unfortunate enough to hear over the last half decade. The fact that those songs all run back-to-back-to-back makes this one of the most excitingly accessible records of the year.

Naturally, the fact that it should be played on the radio and, at the same time, make the radio good again can only mean one thing for The Revolution Smile: They will not make it onto the radio. That mild hint of success they got from Above the Noise's minor hit "Bonethrower" likely will not be repeated, even if they manage to make their single's video even slightly interesting. It won't be played. It could, in fact, get even less play than "Bonethrower's" live-without-a-crowd, simulated headbanging video. That's really saying something.

It's just too bad this album won't get the attention it deserves because, for once, an underdog has triumphed musically. No one who wanted this band to be good is along for the ride this time and, ironically, this is the time when everything has fallen into place and they're most deserving of the attention they've garnered over the years.

--Ben Rice