While sustaining a reputable career in the music business is a tough job, it's still expected that the quality produced manages to keep up appearances throughout an act's tenure. It's unfortunate that many times that's hardly the case and tough times impact a group's ability to craft enticing, highly creative material that leaves fans wanting more.
Four Year Strong have a respectable catalogue in their back pocket. Their fusion of pop punk and hardcore is very unique, and even though on paper it reads like another A Day To Remember knock off, this band has been at it for just as long, if not longer than the Ocala natives and carries a completely separate torch. It is unfortunate however, that instead of another batch of songs that come flying through the speakers, the band opted out and delivered sugary acoustic coos for their fans to dive into.
This is twelve songs of acoustic material people. Package it like a compilation all you will, but it sounds like the band instantly turned into a Carrabba mutation, and a few of the early tracks on the album sound like he's sitting right there in the studio with a microphone. It may have been the timing, but although the record did have a few decent hooks, it just doesn't seem necessary to drop an entire album's worth of acoustic jargon splash into the client's face. Now's not the time for soft releases from highly energetic bands so it's a little disappointing to turn to the album and find that this is what the band gave us.
It is worth mentioning that for an acoustic record there is some really nice harmony here, and maybe those new to the band will find a more secure selling point for them to be fans, but Four Year Strong are meant to kick some ass, and this could've been a better addition sprinkled throughout their catalogue, or as a few secret songs hidden at the depths of the band's upcoming releases.
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