Crash Romeo

Welcome to the review of Crash Romeo’s Minutes to Miles. I am very pleased to introduce to you today’s panel. On the right is lover of all things melodic Johnny Popfiend, and on the left is everyone’s favorite venom spewing curmudgeon Chip Cynical. Let’s start with Johnny.

I think this album is fantastic! I love to hear a band that can create a true meeting of passion and pop. The way Crash Romeo is able to accent their pop-punk sound with groovy moog lines reminds me of personal faves like Reggie and the Full Effect, Motion City Soundtrack, and the Anniversary. There are times when they get a bit more aggressive however and then all I can think of is those tracks on Taking Back Sunday’s debut when they utilized synth to create some splendidly catchy results. The melodies are also top notch. I mean these things are more contagious than a horny teen with a bad case of mono. If I close my eyes during the choruses I can easily picture hundreds of kids singing along while throwing fists in the air. If you like fun, singing along, and rocking out this album is for you. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Thank you, Johnny. Chip, it’s your turn.

First of all, I thought Trustkill was a hardcore label. So what is this shit? Didn’t they learn their lesson with Roses Are Red? They should stick to faux-metal grunting-core instead of this give-Hot-Topic-all-of-your-money nü-emo stuff. Okay, okay, let me articulate myself a little bit better here. Crash Romeo take run of the mill pop-punk riffs and dowse them with clothespin-over-the-nose vocals, and then in some pathetic final effort to distinguish themselves from the endless phalanx of similar artists they throw in some synth. Hey guys, know what that synth sounds like? Futility. Just like the random backing screams on “Dial M for Murder” and the obligatory acoustic ballad as closer. I mean honestly, this stuff is more predictable than the end of a Disney movie. At least they do offer up some solid poetry in the lyric department. Lines like, “If all of this is possible I want to die in your arms,” “You’ve got this burning in your heart like it has never been before,” and “Silence won’t last, I’ve got my finger on the trigger / I hoped and prayed my hand would slip” have “Pulitzer” written all over them. That was called sarcasm people, but seriously I give this thing a 2 out of 10.

Well, there you have it folks! The results are in and Crash Romeo’s Minutes to Miles gets a 5 out of 10!