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Chances are 9/10 that you haven’t yet heard This Is Me Smiling. So if you’re one of those elitist snobs who has to be able to claim they heard a band before everyone else, get on with it, because this band is going to blow the hell up.

This band has perfectly nailed just what an indie pop record should be. Terrific vocal melodies, great instrumentation that suits just the mood it needs to, and piano-driven choruses that might as well be led by Ben Folds himself. But we can’t restrict this album to being Folds-esque, as it’s much more guitar than piano-driven, but that same irresistible charm is there. It’s a fun listen, plain and simple, and as lighthearted as things seem, there are some real somber moments, and luckily, they don’t feel forced at all. No matter the tone, one element remains constant: The songs are perfectly crafted.

That’s not to say the album is perfect, far from it, but on an individual basis I can find no fault in song structure, song pace, or just the overall feel of things. Be it on electric guitar, piano, or acoustic guitar, the vocals perfectly accent the point being brought across. I’m often reminded of the Shins, and the way they effortlessly glide from song to song, and though this is more varied, it bares mentioning that point. The acoustic-driven “Matter to Matter” is a standout among the other twelve songs on the album, as the feelings of regret and remorse are so clearly felt through the singer's inflection and the lyrics that make that possible. "Every spoken word is a waste of breath, every memory will be lost in death / Every induction leads to the same pretense, every conclusion seems like the best defense." Those words somehow seem to hit harder in this format, and when Jenni Choi contributes some background vocals, the previous beauty is only magnified. The strumming pattern may be extremely simple, but it just doesn’t matter, the bittersweet vocals make up for all that could be lacked.

The acoustic track is only one minor portion of the album, however, as the electric guitar is used far more frequently. “Mixin’ Up Adjectives” is just what a great indie pop track should be, centered on the vocals, but strongly driven by the rhythms of guitar, bass and drums. It’s done perfectly; each musician in this trio gels ideally with the other, with their respective instruments each contributing just what they need to and then some.

This Is Me Smiling’s possible downfall resides in the lack of individual tracks that stick out above the rest, and it’s an interesting problem, especially when it's taken into account how different most of these tracks sound from each other. You won’t confuse “Ephemera” with “Say What You’re Gonna Say,” but neither song can truly be considered better than the other. Just different, and maybe that’s not a weakness at all. I already mentioned how cohesive the band works as a whole, and in the end, I suppose it's their strongest attribute. They didn’t write 7 good songs, 2 spectacular songs, and 4 crappy ones, they instead opted for 13 great tracks. And I really can’t fault them for that.

Beginning to end, this album will put a smile on your face. What more can you ask?



People who liked this also liked:
Verse - From Anger and Rage16 Horsepower - Hoarse [reissue]Mabus - Cheers, To Doomsday GloomAmerican Distress - American DistressCasket Architects - Dance on the Death NerveCross Examination - The Hung JuryBracket - RequiemNo Thanks - Demo / Live: CBGBs [reissues]A Global Threat - Where the Sun Never SetsPolar Bear Club - The Redder, The Better



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    Posted by mapweb on 2007-01-22 21:59:50
    My Score:

    this cd is probably one of my favorites.

    everyone on this site needs to shut the fuck up before you start bashing shit.

    i mean come on...half of you haven't even heard the record.

    i agree with the other guy.

    This Is Me Ripping You A New Anal Oraface.

    Shut up and listen to the music before you comment.

    Posted by thatonegirl619 on 2006-11-25 16:08:51

    well they have gotten much better since 2005 . i saw them last week here in san diego, and they are amazing live. so they either practiced alot and got better, or something, becuase they are far from horrible. they band members are really nice too. everytime i listen to them it puts me in a happy mood. so yes too me they are great.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 13, 2006 at 9:03 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I agree that this is a very good album and this band is going to go places. Not necessarily MTV, but they should be blowing up the indie scene.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 26, 2005 at 4:54 PM (EST)

    hahaa poor jesse he's such a poseur

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 2:05 AM (EST)

    his record gets a ten. because I own it, love it, and can go on and on about how well written and well thought out it was.

    first; since when does having a platinum producer make you suck? just cause their producer did fall out boy doesn't mean that TIMS is fucking fall out boy. this record stands out on its own from a production standpoint. Sean Okeefe made this record sparkle, but the amazing musician ship on this record is what a band like fall out boy lacks.

    second; this band STILL isn't anything. they work just as hard as all bands meeting fans, working the promotion, giving all their time to put out a good product for those who wanna listen. if you think they suck, cool. no reason to post hatefilled crap on a review that was positive.

    third; since when does 'boring' mean suck? whats boring about watching good musicians play their instruments well?

    fourth; go listen to the cd before you make comparisons. almost all the comparisons on here seem wack.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 1:07 AM (EST)

    wow. there are a lot of people here claiming to be experts on shit they know nothing about. TIMS has had three drummers. the first was the drummer for smoking popes and then alkaline trio. the second was the recording engineer for fall out boy before he became their recording enginerr and eventually their drummer. the first is the one on the cd. the second played with them for a while and the third plays with them now. also, dont assume theyre not obscure just because they were on punk-o-rama. and that seems like a pretty jack-ass argument to be having anyway. just listen to the cd before you talk shit about it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 23, 2005 at 9:51 AM (EST)

    I also saw these guys opening up at Hey Mercedes' final show. I thought they were alright and definitely had some potential, but their song arrangements seemed way too cluttered and erratic for anyone to be able to peacefully listen to.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 23, 2005 at 12:00 AM (EST)

    Just for the record idiots, their drummer wasn't a producer for fall out boy. fucking idiots. this is me kicking your ass cause this cd is the mad note.

    fucking losers.

    and with that said, just cause they kick all your moms asses doesn't mean you can come on here and trash them. go be elitist on your internet chat boards and talk shit about real musicans.

    oh shit, I think I hear mars volta calling! better go run.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 22, 2005 at 4:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    because of the name of the band i refuse to even try to listen to them. sorry dudes, you are lack namers.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 at 9:43 AM (EST)

    this is me smiling, cuz i put this cd in my microwave, on high for like 2 mins...

    Posted by ElVaquero on 2005-12-21 02:18:01

    I don't see how they could be called obscure when they were on the last Punk O Rama. The song on that blew hard though.

    Posted by sallyjesse on 2005-12-21 00:15:11
    My Score:

    sounds like emo.

    i love archers of loaf. score is for them.

    Posted by darkstarm on 2005-12-20 16:58:28

    saw them open up for the rxb a couple years ago. pretty boring if you ask me. too much shitty music coming out of chicago now a days.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 4:56 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    i've heard these songs before, not these exact songs, but nevertheless these songs before.

    the score is for the first time i heard these songs.

    now i want to go find those records

    Posted by homie on 2005-12-20 16:05:24
    My Score:

    That ain't too good. They want to be poppy and clever but really can't do it. And its not indie rock.

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-12-20 13:28:58
    My Score:

    This is me not giving a shit.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 11:38 AM (EST)

    I saw there guys when they opened for Hey Mercedes final show. People said they sucked...I thought they were decent. I also didn't know the drummer produced FOB's TTTYG...Which brings his cred down a bit.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 10:34 AM (EST)

    no 'indie elitist" would be caught dead listening to this band.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 10:17 AM (EST)

    This is the moon blowing up, and this is me smiling!

    I like the name.

    Jim

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 9:59 AM (EST)

    The only reason this band is anywhere is because their drummer produced the Fall Out Boy "Take This To Your Grave" album.

    Posted by Scruffy on 2005-12-20 09:50:29

    They're on Punk-O-Rama 10, so they're not that obscure.

    Posted by Jesse on 2005-12-20 09:22:42

    Hey Mercedes was forced to let these guys open for their last show ever at the Metro. This has to be one of the worst bands I've ever seen live. They suck.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 4:32 AM (EST)

    Are these guys from Chicago? As, i always see posters for thier shows here. I always think about how good of a name that have; although i have never checked them out.

    Posted by thefirstfive on 2005-12-20 03:53:17

    this album is really good. super poppy indie rock, like a cross between the format and built to spill

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