STUDENT RICK - Soundtrack For A Generation

13 songs
54:15 minutes
***** *
Victory

Pop punk used to be the big thing, and probably still is, considering the amount of CDs released within the genre. I liked the freshness of early Green Day CDs and also Offspring wasn't that bad, but when Blink 182 appeared, my stomach started to revolt. Now even Victory Records, a label renowned for releasing good old school hardcore, has jumped on the trendwagon too.

Student Rick look as if they are really, really young, no older than 18 years. Their songs are all about love, or about failed love, and they used the popular templates to create their songs. A bit of Blink 182, some Jimmy Eat World, and countless other emo pop punk bands I don't care to know now. On the positive side, I have to admit that I have heard a lot worse bands in the past, and sometimes their hooks are really cool. Especially the three songs opening the B-side (in case you get your hands on the vinyl) are really cool: the catchy Yesterday is followed by two more poppy pieces called South Of Blackford and Through The Window, that both have added strings and horn sections. Good stuff!

I won't start a "fundamentals of punk" discussion, because if I did, I would end up giving this CD a 0-star rating, because although they use elements of punk, there attitude is anything but punk. They even thank God in the credit notes. Do they know how many people have been killed by and in the name of this God guy?

Anyway, let's review this as a pop album, and then it may be said that it's a fairly good album, even if highly unoriginal. The production is tight, the vocals are well delivered, and there are some memorable songs. 6 point with the hope that the future will give them more roughness.