I certainly didn't see this coming, but at least now their intentions are clear. How's this for a career path? They debuted with a pop-rock gem (Almost Here) that should have vaulted them to the top of the charts. They followed that with a mature turn (Santi) where the Butch Walker influence both helped and hurt them. Now here they are just a year removed from that with Fast Times at Barrington High, what seems to be their desperate attempt to latch onto the hottest trend that they've seen tourmates and labelmates and friends blow up with.

This sound has been done to death and has become so watered down. It has become increasingly hard for a band in this vein to be any different, but it is still possible. However, not a single thing about this album stands out from anything else you can hear on any given power-pop myspace. We know they are better musicians than what they show here. We know William is both a better singer and lyricist than what we hear and read. It's frustrating to see a band with such potential limit themselves to this.

While all five members of the band are young men, they are not in high school anymore. Everything from the album title to the subject matter of the songs is just that: high school gossip, high school relationships, high school drama. Considering the mature themes of the last album, this is just another huge step backwards. Releasing an album of this sort as their debut and progressing from there would make sense, because this is an absolute regression across the board.

Did they release this too soon? Only 16 months have passed since the release of Santi. Has the loss of Tom Conrad truly been detrimental? The best guitar work the band has seen is still found on Almost Here, without question. Did they get fed up with seeing their peers achieve the sales numbers and fame they desire and decide to make their splash into the ever-so-boring crowd? The questions will linger but the fact remains, they sold themselves short. The choice of producer here would seem to support that. Enlisting Sam Hollander and Sluggo would seem to be another sign of the direction the band aims to take. The duo, having recently worked with the likes of Boys Like Girls, We The Kings, Metro Station and All Time Low, are the current hot producer in this ever so bland genre. Hollander even co-wrote seven of the tracks, including the single, "Summer Hair = Forever Young."

Despite all of this, the album isn't necessarily bad. It is very listenable (but isn't that the point in this genre?) and could make for a decent summer driving-around-with-the-windows-down album. The fact that it leaves so much to be desired really does hurt it, though. Summer is almost over and autumn will soon be here. The temperatures will fall, the leaves will change colors, and these songs will be forgotten.

Score: 3/10

sometimes i really think i am an old man trapped in the body of a 21 year old. i'm always tired, i'm always cold, i hate driving at night, most of the time i'd rather stay home than go out, i think kids are ridiculous, and as soon as i get home i put on my pajamas. oh life!

but i guess i'm really not an old man because i don't go to bed at 5pm after watching judge judy, i don't need to wear diapers, and my penis still works just fine.

"2, please." $2.50. Sit down. 7 stops to go. iPod on. We start moving. The man across from me stares at me blankly. I wonder if there's something in my hair or on my face. Or maybe he's just wondering what I'm listening to. I look down to the ground. I tell myself to keep my eyes there. 6 stops. The woman next to me is talking very loudly and excitedly to the man on the other side of her. She is big and I can't see her face. I turn my iPod off to listen to her. She's right. Nick said it best: this hurricane is blowing us thin. 5 stops. A cute boy walks by. I watch the young girl next to me watch his movements. Slow and deliberate. He has nice hair. 4 stops. I wonder what you're going to be wearing, what we're going to do tonight...3 stops...who else is going to be there, how much sleep we're going to get, what I'll be eating for dinner. The man across from me glances at me before he gets up. I could have sworn he was about to speak, but instead he turned his head and walked out. 2 stops. A little old woman sits in the sit the man just vacated. I turn my iPod back on, but I don't know what to listen to. I'm feeling nervous just like I always am when I'm on my way to you, so I choose the most comforting voice I've ever known. 1 more stop. I look up and the old woman smiles warmly and I return the smile. Seeing her makes me wonder just how many days and weeks and years she's been through in her life. How much she's learned and how everything she's seen has turned her into the person she is now, just a woman sitting on a train in a seat across from a boy who is growing up every day no matter how young his heart tells him he is. Time. She's had her time. This time is mine. This time is ours. I spill out of the train and onto the busy city streets with everyone else, and the knot in my stomach tightens as I get closer to your room. We've got time and we've got each other.

Four days feels more like four months sometimes.
It's getting harder and harder to keep my secrets to myself.
I feel good.

Love and hate both take the same amount of energy. I heard that somewhere. I wonder if whoever said that was as full of love and hate as I am. I forgot how to use words. Everything I had was just hugs. Handshakes. Mostly hugs. Not anymore. Sometimes you get this rush that lasts all night. Three days later it's still there. Pulsing. Is there such a thing as a weeklonglovehangover? If this was a drink I'd swear off every other liquid for good. You'll fill up on the ones I've already sworn off and I still won't be able to sit still knowing this. My mind and body are free of the clouds. I'm ready. I don't know what for, but I am. It's coming. I am the future. I'm a sassy motherfucker. I dream big and act even bigger. I want to sing my lungs out in every room in this country. Even if I'm the only one in the room. I'm fine with that. No, that's a lie. I want that room filled past capacity. I want you to hear this. To hear the words that have so recently filled my notebook. The old blue one with the picture of Kris Roe on it. The one that has the suicidial writings from 2001. They're still there. I'll always keep them. Look how far I've come. Where will I be four years from now? I'm done writing about that girl with the commitment problem and I'm done writing about the girl with the god complex. I'm just writing. I'm just writing because there are words in my head and they can't stay there any longer. I need to let them out so I can take turn the NO off on the vacancy sign out front. New words welcome. Cash, credit or check (this out.) Muse(ic.) It's what you are. It's what I need. These words are dancers, but they go nowhere without the dance floor and the beat. Maybe I've found my dance floor. The (search for the) beat goes on. I'm living less in what JTL and WEB wrote and more in what I'm breathing in and what's on the page in front of me. I cannot breathe through my nose, but I've been taking lots of deep breaths this week. Romance may have taken a shot to both the chest and the head, but I'm glad to report that I got there just in time, and now he's recovering on a bed in my basement. I'll keep him alive, I swear, even if I'm the only one. I live at the same speed all the time, and it's the fastest setting life comes with. Even if I knew how to slow it down, I wouldn't. I'm keeping on and keeping up and keeping ahead. There's only one thing in my life that I'm not content with and I told her about it today. Next year maybe. I am armed with love and life. Love. Life. Love. Life. A lovelife? I'm sleeping less, and sometimes not at all. If it's not keeping you up nights...

The (search for the) beat goes on.

I am the future.

Sup.
- I finally met Krissy.
- The Cashmans have a nice style.
- Late late late = no date date date.
- "The Butcher had to get a mod for his kit *10 second pause* whatever that is. So yeah."
- Bill Beckett is probably the sweetest guy in the whole world.
- "When The Beatles first came out, everyone just liked them because they were hot. But then they went on to write some of the greatest records in history. I think that's how it's going to be with us."
- I believe him.
- "If he's with Crit, he's alright with me."
- blah blah blah blah blah.
- The Plain White T's should make like Midtown and "give it up."
- Julia and I are going to be ice skaters. Neither of us can skate.
- TonyJ is the fucking man.
- Who cries during "Almost Here?" Honestly. Okay fine...one person. No need to name names or poke fun.

I loved tonight, I love them and I love my friends...but I still hate you.

Tony, Mike & Nate / going to Urban Outfitters (and thinking 'They should throw me out of here just because I could never ever afford ANYTHING in here') / watching an employee from the Virgin Megastore chase (and fail to apprehend) a shoplifter / TGIFridays (where the lights only go on when you break them) with Kirsten (not Kristen!) / Kirsten didn't want a hug / spending $15 to enter the The Museum of Fine Arts and only being there for about 20 minutes (that's almost a dollar per minute!) / "This place has too much art and not enough making out!" / "If you stare at that painting long enough, you see a bunny." / Crit: "My mom said you shouldn't stand too close to the train tracks." Kirsten: "Your mom's a whore!" Tony: "Yeah, I know. I made out with her. For real." / going to a different Urban Outfitters and just sitting on the couch playing video games while the lady shopped / ice cream / Hootenanny (not such a great store, but what a great name!) / watching Pete Wentz walk by instead of trying to get him to kiss me again / going to pick up my photo pass and finding out I wasn't on the list (FUCK YOU, FBR!) but getting one anyway because I'm good like that / Chad Powell / missing most of Gym Class Heroes / The Academy didn't sound as good as they usually do / the crowd was ridiculous / William noticed me and told me he loves me (right in the middle of "Season") / the same old setlist again (of course) but at least they changed the intros to the songs / "I just saw The Butcher's penis...and you can too." / Jocelyn St. Denis / Cassie D / Matt Finneron & Tim Hopper / Tony almost getting kicked out / E-Cash & Emily / Chad Powell (he gets mentioned twice because he's just that cool) / Silverstein is what Hawthorne Heights would sound like if they had just a little bit of talent / JESSICA STEIN / finally meeting Ally (with a y) / Supercool / Fall Out Boy is just plain fun / McDonald's / high fives / the drunk(?) kid in the ARMOR sweatshirt (I told him that normally I'd fight him, but since he had armor on, it wouldn't be fair) / hanging out at Boston University / "I didn't know there were four boys in your room! ... "Well, do you like group sex?" / DaveGreatSuper / wanting to dance and searching for a dancing partner / Kirsten finally decided that she wanted a hug / unexpected IMs.



( the writers weren't kidding. )

it's a good thing i saw lots and lots of awesome people, or it would have been a total bust.



( it's like myspace...but better. )

i saw head automatica tonight in providence at the call. which is a pretty cool place. drove down with justin & courtney. and met up with: jess!!, julia, matt, melissa, brittany, lia, becca, irene, steve(?) & keegan. and i saw marissa there! aaaand i had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful allie! while waiting for the first band...( one of the funniest things EVER happened. )



( dance party plus destruction. )