Sound: If you’re expecting a CD of 12 songs loaded with riffs like in “What Are You Waiting For?” you may be
disappointed with a few of the songs. Trevor (McNevan) and Steve (Augustine) definetly brought a relatively softer,
less energetic sound to this album than their debut. This album, musically, is toned down and has several more calm,
more serious songs such as “Six Candles” and “Nice Piece of Art”. There are, however, many songs where they bring
catchy riffs and sounds that you’d expect out of these guys. The CD opens with the song “Flop Culture” which is in
my opinion one of the best of the album.
Lyrics and Singing: You’d think Trevor couldn’t beat the lines like “I feel like it’s teenage hunting season” from
“What Are You Waiting For?” but he does, in a huge way. Instead of sticking with the teenage lifestyle pattern, the
band changed their focus entirely. “Critically Ashamed” is, as you might guess from the title, an attack on pop
culture. It becomes evident with the first track “Flop Culture” asking you repeatedly “Can you tell me what happened
to Michael Jackson / and MTV trading music for acting / Avril Lavigne’s on the cover of Maxim”. The assault doesnt’t
stop there, though. “The Next Big Thing” describes a musician’s rise to prominence and America’s obsession with
popularity. “America’s Next Freak” continues the attack with a satire of all of the different genres of music and
the focus on the new and strange. Don’t think that all they focus on is Pop Culture, though. Many other songs focus
on more serious topics, such as “Six Candles” and “Tonight”. then you have the songs that make you remember the
songs from FM Static’s debut, the catchy lyrics and creative analogies. “The Video Store” is, in my opinion tied
with “Flop Culture” for the best on the CD, where Trevor talks about meeting a girl in a video store (it got bonus
points for the line “don’t wanna end up like my man Fred Durst cause he did it all for the nookie”).
Impression: Overall this CD was on a level you’d expect from FM Static. It was catchy, it was funny, and it made you
think. This CD will make you laugh, cry and jump up and down with energy. In terms of sarcastic CDs, it’s up there
with “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right but Three Lefts Do” by Relient K. Definetly a feel good sound designed for when
you need a break from the stresses of life, a sound that’s infectious and catchy, with lyrics that bring out an
entire arsenal of emotions. I’d buy it again over most anything else, just because it has everything.
