|
The first impression you have after hearing Show Must Go is that Hedley are the stepchild of the Killers and blink-182. Hedley use the same dancy beats that came in vogue with rock bands in the late 2000s, mixing them with simple, straightforward guitar licks and a vocal delivery that teeters on the brink of larger-than-life and emo. The pop-punk influence is responsible for the fact that the songs remain too down to earth to pull off the same Las Vegas kitschy flamboyance that the Killers excel in, giving Hedley the vibe of a bunch of countryside guys who decided to impersonate pretentious rock stars. It's still as shamelessly primitive as it is catchy, though, which is the main requirement for this sort of music. As the album progresses, the band also dabbles in a variety of other styles that comprise the American rock mainstream (never mind that Hedley are Canadians) -- there's some heavy blues, some post-grunge, and a piano-led semi-ballad that sounds intense enough to be on a Fray record. But the most amusing tracks are the hair metal numbers, a couple of which crop up over the course of the ride. Not that there's anything wrong with channeling Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses, especially when it's done at the same quality level as the rest of Show Must Go -- which is, as was already mentioned, pretty catchy, though not overbearingly so. But it's solid proof that the music of Hedley and other similar bands, despite all the new wave and punk gloss, has the same nature as the cheesy hard rock of yesteryear: it's shallow, frivolous, and unabashed fun of the type that is hard to praise in a serious company, but also hard to dislike.
Condition:NEW. Punched upc
TRACK LISTINGS
1 Color Outside the Lines 4:01
2 I Do (Wanna Love You) 3:24
3 Perfect 4:11
4 Hands Up 3:20
5 Shelter 3:13
6 Amazing 3:34
7 Cha-Ching 3:31
8 Don't Talk To Strangers 3:33
9 Scream 2:51
10 Friends 3:38
11 Sweater Song 3:22
|