- Release date:
- March 18, 2008
- Artist/Band name:
- The Matches
- Record label:
- Epitaph
- Official Web Site:
- http://www.thematches.com/
- Overall User Rating:
-
(0 ratings)
Why you should care: Although the tag “pop punk” is usually a creative kiss of death, the Matches have the same ambition and musical smarts as the best of their peers—which, for the sake of this list, includes Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance and the last Blink-182 album. “A Band in Hope” offers up a dizzying array of sounds, with glam, funk, power pop and “A Night at the Opera”–style vocals abounding. “Wake the Sun” is (hopefully) the Hot Topic crowd’s summer jam, “Clouds Crash” offers up an acoustic, gentle respite and “If I Were You” proves the band, lyrically, is smarter than most of their brethren. “If I were you, babe, I’d be thinking of me,” teases singer/guitarist Shawn Harris.
Verdict: Although the band is still a little all over the map in style, Harris is consistently jittery and charming.
X-Factor: The switch in styles is easy to explain: the band hates using one producer. On this album alone, the band used seven, including John Feldmann (the Used), Tim Armstrong (Rancid) and the collective Talking House.
