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Fireworks

All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion (2009)
Triple Crown Records

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Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on May 15th 2009

It was easy to write Fireworks' early material off for too poorly mimicking New Found Glory and its worst moments of nasal congestion. Hell, with vocalist Dave Mackinder often sounding like Jordan Pundik and this album featuring Chad Gilbert's production, it might be easy to do the same with All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion. But a few listens over reveal a band desperate to escape pigeonholing and establish its own identity, and managing to find some success in the process.

At first, you expect heapings of Midwest dreariness and haziness with Confusion's rather Devil and God-esque cover, and it isn't really apparent on the album's first few rotations. But moments of lyrical brilliance juxtapose youthful stuntedness in opener "Geography, Vonnegut and Me": "Father Time is a blurred bird in disguise / who made his way to my shoulder. / It's weighing me down. / It makes me grow older. / I wish it would all just stop." It's just the beginning to an album that flows with a particularly gradual feel and sporadic bits of subtle shifts and thoughtfulness for its 33 minutes, with some varied textures and brief areas of warmer air. The band appears to prefer a mid-tempo feel, but it's okay since it seems to work and gang vocal application actually ends up fun and fitting. Those jolts of energy are great and nicely placed too, though, with something like the late entry "Detroit" and its spazzy sing-along factor.

Granted, Confusion does sound an awful lot like New Found Glory in spots, whether in the riffs, general tone or the way the melody arcs in Mackinder's voice (I mean, crap, listen to that chorus in "Holiday"). With Gilbert providing some vocal and guitar assistance, one supposes it shouldn't be terribly shocking. The opening of "Closet Weather" actually sounds scarily close to the Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)." Otherwise, the songs are catchy and enjoyable enough to overcome instances like this...for the most part.

All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion actually comes off fairly clear-headed despite its quiet touches of cloudiness and creativity. It definitely exceeds the band's previous stuff, and one hopes that Fireworks will cook up a Deja Entendu to follow their Favorite Weapon.

STREAM
Geography, Vonnegut and Me
Detroit

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BarleyPat (September 28, 2011)

These guys are beyond terrible and I can't wait to not see them when they open at the PBC show I'm going to this weekend.

slymer (June 16, 2009)

Good album. Don't know if I agree that the lyrics are all that hot, but it's catchy and fun.

aaron_07 (June 3, 2009)

i have we are everywhere and had to get it off a mate cos i can't get it here in australia. i liked that album alot though, this stuff not so much.

onegirlarmy (May 18, 2009)

Yeah, this record does have great lyrical content, and a pro-gay marriage song is always commendable, especially amongst the crowd that this caters too. I still think this is kinda flat and lacks energy musically, but the lyrics are quite good. Score is for that.

paulrulzdood (May 18, 2009)

lots of potential for some young dudes from Detroit of all places, and that midwestern humbleness/honesty comes through in the lyrics.

That is what seperates them from a band like All Time Low or Hit the Lights. The lyrics rarely, if ever, cover the topics of heartbreak and girls, which, like Set Your Goals, makes their approach to pop-punk feel slightly more mature, meaningful and honest.

in fact, "closet music" is about suicide of all topics on a pop-punk record. I can't think of too many other songs about suicide in the genre, and the topic isn't presented in a cheesey dramatic fasion that say, a band liek Good Charlotte would likely present the subject (and didn't GC present it in that song "hold on"? yea, this is way better than that cheese).

Also, Chad's production is similar to what he did with the new H2O, so it is pretty raw and doesn't have that thick coat of gloss bands like Hit the Lights or All Time Low go for with their sound.

Overall, it is nothing new and they wear their NFG influence on their sleeve and there isn't much seperating them from the current pack of pop-punk bands playing this style as of now. They're certainly no better and probably not even as good as SYG or FYS. But it is an honest, promising debut none-the-less and i'm interested to see where they go from here.

Nice guys too.

Paul

iruineverything (May 17, 2009)

I got this after seeing it being compared to Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong. Bit of a stretch there, but the song "Detroit" is amazing. Overall, pretty skipable.

mikexdude (May 17, 2009)

Three stars! What a surprise, just like every other album you review. The score is for the album, not the review.

Think realistically: There's SO much music released that it's not going to be either "horrible" or "amazing"; somethings are just "good." You give this four and a half stars. Imagine if you were a reviewer, especially Brian, with the amount of music you listen to, a trendy pop punk band isn't creative or anything enough for that person to want to give it more than an okay score. Even if it is "good." Remember, three stars is still an enjoyable album.

warzin (May 17, 2009)

When I first listened to this album I thought the vocals were way to whiny for me. After a day or 2 I gave it another chance and I am super happy I did. This is a really good album.

KidDangerCat (May 16, 2009)

Love this record.
It has suprising lyrical content for a pop-punk band.

onegirlarmy (May 16, 2009)

I don't like it all that much either, but considering I know Brian wasn't into them at all previously, I guess this can be a good thing.

Big_Guy (May 16, 2009)

not better in any way than the first ep.

not at all. this thing lacks any energy they may have had

GreenVandal (May 15, 2009)

Bad record label. Will probably never listen to this.

A useful comment, eh?

givemeamuseumandillfillit (May 15, 2009)

This record is very boring. 80% of it sounds like all those douche-pop bands like All Time Low etc.. I know you can't expect much from modern pop punk, but damn, I miss 2001.

lessthangene (May 15, 2009)

Three stars! What a surprise, just like every other album you review. The score is for the album, not the review.

spacemanspliff (May 15, 2009)

I'm confused. Does it sound like Brand New or New Found Glory? Brand New Found Glory?