Artist: The Summer Obsession
Album: This Is Where You Belong
Label: Virgin Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: August 29, 2006
Overall: 7.5
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 6.5
Production: 8.0
For the longest time, I was trying to figure out why this band reminded me of old Good Charlotte. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that their old drummer is in this band. It explained a lot to me. I’d put this band on par with older Good Charlotte. I’m talking the first album, which ironically enough is the one Chris wasn’t on. The uh, good one. Yeah, I said it.
The Summer Obsession sound like Virgin Records’ too little, too late attempt to cash in on pop-punk. I could be wrong. Maybe it’s just the changing of the guard for major label lineups. Who knows? It doesn’t change the fact that this album could have been even better than just “pretty good.” Musically, TSO lay waste to Good Charlotte’s latest musical endeavors. A light piano line opens the album on “8 AM.” Automatically, the song takes a hold of you and refuses to let go with the aid of an explosive chorus. “Disappear” is another ear-pleaser, but the lyrics start to show their weakness. From here on out, the lyrics sound like they were taken from a Jr. High student’s notebook. Aside from the lyrics, I only have a few minor complaints with some annoying melodies and riffs, but for the most part, the album is pretty solid. On that note, “Melt the Sugar” needs to be a single. It’s got “school dance” written all over it.
If your siblings are tired of waiting for a new Fall Out Boy album and aren’t ready to appreciate the new Sugarcult or New Found Glory records, pick this up for them. Also, a personal note to Chris Wilson: Congratulations for being in a much better band than your previous one. Hopefully The Summer Obsession will mature with their next album and not try to act artsy.
Track Listing
1. 8 AM
2. Disappear
3. Never Coming Back
4. Death Said
5. Melt the Sugar
6. Burning Bridges
7. Bored
8. Do You Remember
9. Over My Head
10. Down For Whatever
11. I Miss You
12. Where You Belong
i think that you should go back to this album. stop comparing it to pop punk bands and good charlotte – i put this album up to par with foo fighters and sublime – your comparisons to good charlotte are not justifiable at all! chris wilson didn’t record the album with TSO, josh freese did.. (sting, a perfect circle, nine inch nails, devo, vandals). there are pretty apparent influences from bands like u2 and the police.. face to face and good blink 182 are the better ‘punk’ comparisons. the album’s production should also be a 9.5 if not a 10!!! the engineer that did all of rage against the machine and some outkast albums did this.. and it sounds like it!
your blow at virgin is incorrect.. i think if anything is a last effort attempt in their name to cash in on a genre.. red jumpsuit apparatus is the last of the ‘screamo’ genre.. and virgin is totally payolaing their way to success with them.
the summer obsession are the real deal. they have real fans. crazy fans like me who will defend them when i know they are better than good charlotte’s “1st album”.
i’m totally glad that you reviewed this, and you didn’t bash them too much, so i’m not pissed, simply asking you to give it a few more listens. for a lot of us fans, it took a while to realize what was going on with this band… if you check out their purevolume page, you’ll get an earful of what they are really about (check out songs driven by desire, corrosive, i’ll never be happy). i hope that you and any other readers of this review don’t take these pop punk comparisons to heart much.
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I’m comparing it to pop-punk, because that’s exactly what it is. Considering blink182 is straight up pop-punk and you can tell the influences, I think you’re helping to prove my point. I can’t see any U2 or Police in there, because it’s too sugary to draw comparison to those bands. Face to Face had a much harder edge to them than TSO does.
As for Josh Freese, I didn’t know he played on this album, because I didn’t have the liner notes to accompany it. All I know is what I’ve read from Chris Wilson and it sounded like he was part of this band from the get-go, so that’s my bad. Doesn’t change the fact this band is better than Good Charlotte.
And on that note, this album is definitely comparable to their old stuff. Aside from the daddy issues, it’s totally in the same range of topics. I don’t know how old these dudes are, but they look old enough to write better lyrics.
The direction that the production team on this album took is totally different from Rage/Outkast’s albums, so I don’t hear any similarities.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think the album’s good, there’s just a lot of room for improvement. Mostly in the lyrics.