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Street Dogs - State of Grace
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Those who know me know I am a complete and total sucker for any band playing pop-punk with major influences of melodic hardcore punk to it. I mean, there's an unbelievable amount of bands playing this style of music all over the country. Ever since Set Your Goals blew up and Lifetime came back, it seems to be more prevelant than ever. I'm not complaining, though; like I said, I love this stuff.

With This Time Next Year, I definitely like what I'm hearing. Nasally vocals simultaneously recalling Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory and Jay Littleton of Fairweather layered over simple but effective riffs make for some solid melodic, poppy hardcore. Often times the band could be compared to the Movielife (I'd imagine you gathered that from the name) or a number of the, ahem, better Drive-Thru Records acts.

However, they don't necessarily do much to deviate from that sound. While This Time Next Year serves up a promising EP with A Place for You, and it’s airtight as far as musical proficiency goes, the band could stand to change things up a bit. I can't really tell you that there's one specific song sticking out to me here, because honestly, there isn't.

They're all great songs, very well-written, and very well-played. That's the problem amidst an EP with a 7-song tracklisting though -- all of these songs are good, but none of them are truly great. Do I believe that This Time Next Year are capable of writing great songs? Of course. A Place for You is only this band's second release, if you count their 2006 Demonstrations demo. I think for the band to get to the point of writing great songs, they need the healthy experience of touring, as well as fleshing their own songs out.

The problem lies in the fact that there is no deviation from the band's style. Any sort of diversity in the songs would be welcome. On a disc full of mid-tempo pop-punk songs, I'd love to hear the band venture into either far end of the spectrum, whether it be the band experimenting with Gorilla Biscuits-esque hardcore songs, or even some slow, down-tempo cuts.

This Time Next Year have gotten off to a great start with A Place for You. The band write simple, well-executed songs. I can only hope this is the band going through their growing pains, though; it will be interesting to see where they take their sound from here.



People who liked this also liked:
Rise Against - Revolutions Per MinuteNOFX - The DeclineThe Loved Ones - Keep Your HeartLifetime - LifetimeFour Year Strong - Rise or Die TryingThe Swellers - My EverestBen Weasel - These Ones Are BitterGallows - Orchestra of WolvesA Wilhelm Scream - Career SuicideThe Loved Ones - Build & Burn



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    Posted by losingstreak on 2007-08-05 13:59:27

    Kinda get a Set Your Goals meets the Movielife vibe. I dig it.

    Posted by tylerdurden8136 on 2007-08-04 12:15:40
    My Score:

    Holy shit this reminds me of olds school NFG.

    Fun stuff.

    Posted by swenknup on 2007-08-01 00:55:12

    This cd grows on you! I like it quite a bit but then again I am not a music critic.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2007-07-31 15:23:59
    My Score:

    "Your statements contract themselves: You say the they are great songs and in the next sentence they are good but none are truly great! from your review -They're all great songs, very well-written, and very well-played. That's the problem amidst an EP with a 7-song tracklisting though -- all of these songs are good, but none of them are truly great."

    I think contract is supposed to be contradict. And the references to New Found Glory and Movielife make me NOT want to give this a try. I liked those bands 5 years ago, then they kinda started sucking ... especially NFG. That's only my opinion though, as I know lots of punk kids start off listening to this kind of stuff. I'm just gonna pass. Score is for Pop-Punk after 2002.

    Posted by facetofacereunion08 on 2007-07-30 21:48:14

    movielife or nothington reference?

    Posted by WhiteCollar on 2007-07-30 17:52:46

    i hate set your goals

    Posted by maverick on 2007-07-30 12:41:06
    My Score:

    "I *should* like this too but the songs are pretty bland and the singer's voice kills me."

    Agreed. Too bland and unmemorable, even for this genre. Fireworks are better (and even they're kinda meh).

    -Scott

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 11:53 PM (EDT)

    Although this isn't an original sound, it has a lot of energy and is well executed. I find myself singing along with many of the songs -

    Posted by swenknup on 2007-07-29 22:55:24

    Your statements contract themselves: You say the they are great songs and in the next sentence they are good but none are truly great!
    from your review -
    They're all great songs, very well-written, and very well-played. That's the problem amidst an EP with a 7-song tracklisting though -- all of these songs are good, but none of them are truly great.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 4:38 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The Starting Point was better, but it's still good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 4:20 PM (EDT)

    this sounds like something I would like early Saves The Day, Fairweather, The Movielife etc. except I have a feeling this might delve too deeply into the "too poppy" territory. How came every singer from every band that likes to make blander version Lifetime has to have a really high pitched voice?

    - JD

    Posted by coldwaffles on 2007-07-27 16:05:47

    giving this a go due to my extreme movielife/iata/setyourgoals/lifetime love. vocalist sounds kinda eh, almost combining vinnie movielife with buddy senses fail, the former which is sick, the latter doesn't mix well. but the music sounds pretty solid.

    Posted by nocigar on 2007-07-27 15:58:04
    My Score:

    i agree with the dude below me.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-07-27 15:39:21

    I *should* like this too but the songs are pretty bland and the singer's voice kills me.

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