The Backup Plan

The Backup Plan: Dearest Whomever...Dearest Whomever... (2003)
New Day Rising

Reviewer Rating: 3.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: maverickScott
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on March 5th 2004The Backup Plan could very well be arrested for stealing after the authorities hear this record. Every power chord, every breakdown, and every vocal inflection has already been done by New Jersey punk godfathers Lifetime, and their offspring Kid Dynamite. And yet, it doesn't bother me a lot. Why?.

The Backup Plan could very well be arrested for stealing after the authorities hear this record. Every power chord, every breakdown, and every vocal inflection has already been done by New Jersey punk godfathers Lifetime, and their offspring Kid Dynamite. And yet, it doesn't bother me a lot. Why? Because this album is really, really, really fucking fun.

Plowing through 12 tracks in less than 20 minutes, these New Jersey natives - big surprise, right? - demonstrate that they've all read the "Emotional, Anthematic Punk Rock For Dummies" book in their local Barnes and Noble, but there's enough originality here to allow the blatant plagiarism to slide. The vocals, while strongly reminiscent of Ari Katz and Jason Sevechuck, also throws in a bit of the new school Long Island sound, most notably Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday.

The band writes fun-yet-intense hardcore punk, and with song titles like "I Broke Your Heart And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" and "holyshitholyshitholyfuckingshit," this band knows how to have a good time. My personal favorite track is "Sweet Revenge on St. Marks High School," but there's no real duds on the disc at all.

Well hell, even if there were, you wouldn't know because the song would be over before you could complain.

While not original in the slightest, the Backup Plan is doing something interesting and entertaining here. If they can break the out of the Lifetime/Kid Dynamite shell for their next release, look for greatness. Until then, they just provide goodness.

MP3s
Even The Mona Lisa Is Falling Apart
Keep The Change Motherfucker

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (January 15, 2006)

Sou do Brazil , o som de vocês é muito foda!!!!

Anonymous (May 4, 2005)

this cd is awsome

and heads vs breakers sound allot more like lifetime then this band

Anonymous (February 9, 2005)

these guys are awesome..

and the dearest whomever album is amazing

wooo HOOo

Anonymous (June 1, 2004)

your review sucked.

Anonymous (May 18, 2004)

haha these guys are awesome...going to see them, with honor, and scraps and heart attacks this week...gunna be sick!

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

This band makes my pants wet with a delightful warmness only comparable to that left by My Chemical Romance (yes, even though the styles are quite different).

Anonymous (March 9, 2004)

the singing voice sounds like lifetime. i think.

the breakdowns are kid dynamite, and the others are more lifetime,... i dunno. it's good sutff

Anonymous (March 9, 2004)

ich denke, daß diese Aufzeichnung hübsches gutes ist.

Anonymous (March 9, 2004)

the music is like lifetime...but yeah the vocals are more kid dynamite than anything else

Anonymous (March 8, 2004)

You thought these were Lifetime songs? Ooooook. When was the last time lifetimes vocals sounded like grade. Gimme a break.

Anonymous (March 8, 2004)

Everyone click this link and then the number it tells you to click.

My Army!

Anonymous (March 8, 2004)

any band who rips off kid dynamite or lifetime deserves a perfect score. that sound rocks.

-boba_fett

Anonymous (March 8, 2004)

FUCK LONG ISLAND
long island wannabe's have been jumping on bandwagons for years. atleast this shit aint as bad as the long island emo explosion.

inagreendase (March 7, 2004)

Saw them today - so fucking good...highlight of the day. If they're near you, go.

thriceequalsgod (March 7, 2004)

this band rules. a lot.

aubin (March 7, 2004)

Let me add that I also agree with the Lifetime comparison Scott made, but the mp3s, at least, are pretty rad.

aubin (March 7, 2004)

I fixed the MP3 links...

Anonymous (March 6, 2004)

these guys are from Long Island slick...

Anonymous (March 6, 2004)

this band rules, but heads vs. breakers rules so much more in the lifetime department.

dont_think_twice (March 6, 2004)

the links don't work so the score is for the fight club reference

Anonymous (March 6, 2004)

me: who do you like better, none more black or paint it black?
my roommate: kid dynamite

Anonymous (March 5, 2004)

Eastern Long Island, NY

...not Jersey natives

Anonymous (March 5, 2004)

for more blatant lifetime rips, go buy a fastbreak cd.

Anonymous (March 5, 2004)

Sooooooo very good.

-sickboi

Anonymous (March 5, 2004)

I really though those were lifetime songs

inagreendase (March 5, 2004)

Weird, I just got (downloaded and burned) this today, quite good as I expected, if not hella short. I may have to see them Sunday with Scraps & Heart Attacks in this little house a few towns over.

Anonymous (March 5, 2004)

i like this release, holds you over until lifetime gets back together....

it can happen...