Punknews.org

|
Sign In | create an account

Whaleface

Mind Your Pros and Cons (2009)
self-released

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

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

Published on December 8th 2009

This is basically '90s skatepunk with a distinctly Sum 41-style vocal element to it. It's likely to reduce Mind Your Pros and Cons to used bins across the sad, dusty confines of independent record stores nationwide when you already have solid, newer acts like This Is a Standoff, Half Hearted Hero, Lipona and Hit the Switch doing a better job.

Mind Your Pros and Cons doesn't actually have many of the former to actually mind. "It's Another Prohibition" is a truncated opener that doesn't deliver an able enough hook, and it's got really "huh?" lyrics too; "Answer the door you're expecting a package / Oh look now you're fucked, / instead you got detectives." Other tracks are simply mediocre: "Kid Tested" wastes a promising opening drum roll as some riffs A Wilhelm Scream threw out enter the fold and awkwardly worded domestic issues spell out the song's subject matter; the harmonies in "Get That Sign Out of My Face!" are okay, but the track's largely interesting and the dynamics don't really come through as the band probably intended. The rest of the record, despite some slower stuff here and there ("Gunslinger"), has nothing really discernable or interesting.

Their one lead vocalist, guitarist Jeremy James Ticehurst Baker (I'm taking this direct from the liner notes) has an okay voice even though he sounds like Deryck Whibley half the time. But there's this other vocalist, either guitarist Chamler(s) Harrison Barnes or bassist Kevin Michael Miller, who has this grainy, adolescent thing that isn't bringing anything great to the table here.

This is generic and without any real punch to it to make up for such. Eh.

STREAM
Another Prohibition
Loyalties Aside
Kid Tested
MYPaC
Gunslinger

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.

What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

TwistedByDesign (February 14, 2010)

This writer must be high. He is the only person that I have ever heard say anything bad about Whaleface's new album. Not only is there a consistent buzz about Whaleface amongst every crowd at any worthwhile punk rock show in Jacksonville, but the local media is catching on too. Multiple writers in the Jax area have written very flattering reviews of Whaleface and their new record. If that's not enough, even some of the punk rock elite themselves have given Whaleface praise, including Strung Out and Pour Habit. This writer obviously wouldn't know good independent punk rock if it jumped up and bit him in the ass. Don't fall for his bullshit, listen to the album yourself.

DCFMike (December 26, 2009)

I enjoy this band and disagree with the 2 star rating.

OldBeard (December 14, 2009)

The songs that I lstened to were energetic, melodic and catchy. This should be a pretty great album. I am glad that new bands still play music like this...

RocketFuel (December 10, 2009)

I agree that this should have gotten more than 2 stars. This is a solid skate punk record that deserves a listen.

sweetsuperior (December 10, 2009)

there are some great tracks on this record! most definitely deserving of more than 2 stars. best record to come out of jacksonville in a long time...

skeetopunk01 (December 9, 2009)

I just listened to this album before the gym all the way through. It deserves more than 2 stars and is better than 90% of the crap reviewed on here. I will take this over Tegan and Sara any day... at least it's punk..... punknews.org

friokir (December 9, 2009)

this is overproduced and underraranged, there are so many pointless 10 second "shredding" parts thrown in just because it's "in" atm, that it makes it almost unbearable to listen to.