This album starts out with “Voicemail”, which is sort of a Low-Fi intro. And honestly, it’s sweet. It has that same sort of very lovesick vibes as other tracks from these guys have. But like, I just wish this was maybe just a little punchier and had more standing power. It’s one of the more sincere tracks here too. But with “Kimmy”, this album really does start to get its footing. While this is a Pop Punk album at heart, there’s a ton of really great Power Pop elements between these synths and absolutely gigantic chorus. No joke, you just really don’t hear choruses this gigantic anymore. It’s awkward in all the best ways and reminds me of how human some of this genre’s artists can be at times. Chris sounds sincere, Jeff backs him up wonderfully, this is great. On the other hand, “White Noise” turns things down a few notches. This isn’t nearly as anthemic but continues to be a really solid sound. I actually really love just how heartbroken Chris comes off half of the time. Like, these aren’t polished Pop-Punkers at all. But if you’re a fan of Jeff’s solo work at all, you know all about this. It’s so catchy and punchy, and these choruses continue to be absolutely gigantic. Simple, but they stick with you so well. Not to mention, “White Noise” is so quirky and fun. On the other hand, “Breathless on DVD” really strips things down again. But even though this is one of the slower tunes here, between the animated and goofy synths and the incredibly personal lyrics this works amazing for the duo. It’s incredible actually just how much a little nice production can do for a band because before this I was down with their sound, but this is miles better. And the songwriting is so simple, yet incredibly sincere. I do however continue to gravitate more towards upbeat tracks like “The Price is Right Theme Song”. I love the storytelling feel to this one, and just how rich this is instrumental-wise. Like Jeff’s solo work, it’s got everything from Xylophones to horns, and that’s all fine. But honestly, this is actually a slight hiccup for me on the album. Instrumentally this is impressive and lyrically this is deep, even morbid at times. But I feel like, without a big flashy hook or some catchier moments, this is a little average.
On the other hand, “So Vivid!” is the sound through and through that, I want to hear these two. It’s slower and has some more chugging guitars, but the strong focus on synths and with Chris being the star, this one is absolutely fantastic. Every time this one’s chorus rolls around, I can’t help but scream out every word. It’s incredible honestly and shows that Chris and Jeff are such heavyweights in Pop Punk. And I feel like what really drives this home is just how heartfelt some of these performances are. This really does take me back to a simpler time for these genres. “Freakin’ U Out” picks things up however in a little more of a traditional direction. And yes, this is by far the best track here, it’s just so damn catchy. One thing I really do love about this one is that we get Jeff and Chris doing a sort of dual vocals, and it comes off so much stronger. Like, yea, I may sound like a Jeff Rosenstock fanboy, but I would love to hear even more of him on these tracks. I love the Folk Punk vibes to this, and just how passionate these performances are all around. It’s quirky at times, with Chris and Jeff really not caring how they come off most of the time, in the best way. “All These Nights” however, sounds much more like a late-album heavy hitter on a Jeff Rosenstock album. It’s much slower all around, and that honestly confuses the hell out of me. It these songs came off nearly as catchy as some of the other tracks here, that would be one thing. But let’s be real, it doesn’t. This one just comes off genuinely awkward. The only thing that genuinely saves this one, is once again just how big and beautiful this chorus is. And of course, THIS is where we finally get Jeff singing more on his own, I wish I was more into it. On the other hand, where the hell is “Not Yours” coming from? Between the off-the-rails riff and the soaring synths, this is honestly one of the rowdier tracks here. I don’t mean to bash those slower tunes, but the honest truth is that Chris just sounds so much more sincere on tracks like this. And I don’t know how they do it, but this ends up coming not whiney at all. And this one actually has some really great life lessons in it. This is fantastic. "Do It Over” is once again much more mellow and low-key. But because this is a little bit more on the upbeat side, it actually works. I love how incredibly personal Chris’s lyrics are for this one. More than a few times on here, he’s bringing up plenty of things we’ve all felt and gone through. This one is just so charming and sweet. And I have to continue to praise just how vast this instrumental palette is, Chris and Jeff continue to be fantastic at keeping things interesting.
Now, “Another Good Thing” is a pretty different sound for the duo. We get these very stripped down verses and a big booming chorus. But I do just sort of feel like Chris’s performance here is a little more sure of itself than usual. Like, that chorus is GIGANTIC. But everything else here just isn’t nearly as heartfelt as it usually is, and it just takes a little too much away from this. But it’s not all bad, because I do like the very crunchy guitars. With “Lifelike”, we get an honest to God ballad. And honestly, I don’t mind it really at all. Because they’re really going forward with this one, it ends up coming off so much more sincere. I love the dreary backing vocals, just how genuinely broken Chris sounds, and not to mention, the pianos are just heart-wrenching. It’s a strangely depressive sound, but I can’t say I don’t hate it. Sure, this isn’t like anything else here but it’s a really emotional finale. And when those guitars come crashing in, things get seriously epic, and that last chorus is practically tearjerking. This is a great sound for the duo. But I don’t know, I’m just not into “E-Mail” and these weird bookends for the album. Like, this is pleasant at best, and certainly personal and heartfelt. And as far as building up the personality of this band, this is huge. But that’s literally it, nothing else about this track sticks with me.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: “Kimmy”, “So Vivid!”, “Freakin’ U Out”, “Not Yours”
Least Favorite Track: “The Price is Right Theme Song"
Genre: Pop Punk / Power Pop
Overall Thoughts: Chris Farren and Jeff Rosenstock come together as Antarcticgo Vespucci once again, this time for a much longer effort. And honestly, with some shinier production and more focus on playing off each other makes this a pleasant surprise of a Pop Punk album. Chris’s performances are often incredibly heartfelt and passionate, and Jeff does a fantastic job of backing him up. The instrumentals are surprisingly vast, bringing in elements of Folk Punk and Pop Punk, and their are few choruses here that aren’t absolutely gigantic. My only issue is, they have a sound, I want them to stick to it. Some of the slower and more gimmicky tracks here are easily the least impressive. But still, this album is a blast.
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