Customer Reviews

Modern Minds & Pastimes

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Click Five's sophomore album, Modern Minds and Pastimes is impossible not to fall in love with. It's obivious that the members of The Click Five put their heart and souls into the lyrics and music, working hard to make music that was both meaningful and catchy at the same time. I've been an obsessed fan of The Click Five for years now, and when Eric Dill left the band, I was thouroughly dissapointed. All I could think was, it's all downhill from here...but I was definetely wrong! Their new addition to the band, Kyle Patrick has a different voice than Eric and brings a different sound but he is just as enjoyable as Eric, maybe even more! The tracks on this album make you just want to dance and sing-a-long, and get stuck in your head for days. And for once, it's a good thing! haha Their new album is absolutely addicting and made me fall in love with the band and their music all over again. I didn't know it was possible, but I love The Click Five even MORE than I had before. Modern Mind's and Pastimes: ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. I would suggest it to anyone and everyone who was looking for great music and tunes that'll put a smile on their face. =)

Why is this better??? Start with their new singer/guitarist Kyle Patrick...more of a true powerpop singer, not as teen-oriented, and he fits seamlessly into the band...a comfortable fit.

Next up, the songwriting. BIG improvement over the debut...not that THAT was a bad album, not at all. But here, on MM&P, there are no ripoffish tunes ("Angel To You, Devil To Me" is a complete steal of Bryan Adam's "This Time", for instance), there are NO COVERS!!!! "I'll Take My Chances" on the debut is a SWIRL 360 tune, and the original was better. Yes, "Just The Girl" was a great song, but it wasn't written by the band...with a powerpop band like them, it's just best they write all the songs themselves, and on this record, the band, espesh keyboard player/songwriter Ben Romans wrote/cowrote all 12...and there are some real gems here. That's the key...the Click 5 are more concerned here with writing good tunes, just because they are good, NOT because they want some hits. This is a good example of good UNCOMMERCIAL powerpop...great melodies and lyrics that get under your skin and stick to your brain. That's what pop/powerpop is, not about what's popular, underdstand???

"Jenny", the first single is grand, "Addicted To Me" is amazing, "Long Way To Go" is a really cool rocker with a sorta rapped/chanted-along, hypercatchy, ultramemorable, garagey delivery, "I'm Getting Over You" is a really melodic, haunting, Badfinger-ish type of powerpop/ballad hybrid, "Headlight Disco" is a great anomaly...a powerpop/disco hybrid that works like a charm. Opener "Flipside" is a catchy, doo-wop influenced song. All 12 songs are cool and a major improvement...could be a new beginning for the band...if they get dropped, they should not break up because it feels like they're just getting started.

Only the new Rooney is a better powerpop album out this year...but this gets a solid B+. Bravo, boys...and I'm looking forward to Kyle writing more songs with the band.

To be honest I really don't know where to start,I love this whole album!
From the very catchy and fun to sing single "Jenny" to the amazing ballad "Empty". This album shows much more maturity than the debut album "Greetings from Imrie House". Kyle Patrick just fits right in,he looks the part and sounds the part. I love his voice. I am also impressed once again with the original members,Joe Guese,Joey Zehr,Ben Romans,and Ethan Mentzer! They all made this album awesome! I am just so excited about this album! I give an A plus all the way!! I love the Click Five and MMAP!!

I found this CD online as I was browsing and it came up in "10 CD's you must hear" category. I listened to samples and thought it would be pretty good. It is very good. Reminds me of a variety of songs/sounds from 80's/90's which I really liked.

So when Rooney, The Click Five and Phantom Planet all had their major label debuts relatively within the same time period, I of course, supported and purchased all of their efforts. Even Phantom Planet's two follow-ups. And now, in 2007, both Rooney's new one and The Click Five's new one. I'll admit here, the back-catalogues for these three bands have sat amongst my other CD's gathering dust. But now comes "Modern Minds & Pastimes" and it simply is a fun, fun, fun record. Pop with a heavy dose of The Cars and hints of Matthew Sweet. Lots of synthesizers, harmonies, melodies. And songs about girls, girls and more girls. But between the oohs and ahhs and handclaps and echoes, damn if it's not catchy. Great to work out to at the gym. P.S. In case someone wants to hunt this one down: Jason Schwartzman left Phantom Planet to pursue his acting career more aggressively. Ironically, Schwartzman's brother, Robert, decided to pursue his music career more aggressively than his acting one - he's the lead singer/songwriter for Rooney. Well, Jason's still making films and he's not drumming for Phantom Planet. But in late 2006, he did sneak out an interesting pop record under the name Coconut Records. "Nighttiming" doesn't always work, but on many levels it is far more a pop-affair than Phantom Planet and any direction they've attempted to take. Nighttiming

I purchased their first CD "Greetings from Imrie House" at the same time I purchased this CD. The first ones was good but this one is really good. Great sound, not to hard or soft. It has been a staple in my 6 change CD car player since I purchased it. Great CD!

I always thought that the Click Five was an underrated emo band, especially considering the fact that my favorite song from them, "Catch Your Wave", went virtually unnoticed. But original frontman Eric Dill has now been replaced by Kyle Patrick, who tries to bring the band more acclaim with their sophomore album, Modern Minds and Pastimes.

It sounds like the band is steadily trying to stray away from the punk-pop scene, which is especially evidenced by the club-sounding "Headlight Disco". Also, there are more mellow songs this time around, but fortunately they're impressive: "Empty" and "The Reason Why" are good examples of this. The new wave vibe of "Addicted to Me" is also pretty good.

As much as I try not to compare different lead singers, I still have to say that Kyle's voice doesn't exactly have the same energy that Eric's voice had, and sometimes it shows, especially on tracks like "I'm Getting Over You", "When I'm Gone" and "Happy Birthday" (but the latter two songs don't exactly have the best lyrics either). The chorus to "Long Way to Go" is also uninspiring.

Although the Click Five WERE a little better in their first incarnation (but whoever called them "the Beatles of this generation" needs to listen to the Beatles more closely), Modern Minds and Pastimes is still an above-average album. It might take a little getting used to, but it's still good enough to add to your collection.

Anthony Rupert

I just heard "The Clicks" a couple of months ago fro the first time, but I instantly fell in love with them. The album is great, I love every single song of it. My favourites are: When I'm Gone, Long Way To Go, I'm Getting Over You, Jenny and Empty. I think this album is much-much better than the first one, although I like that too.

I'm always amazed music like this still exists, you would think once songs like "Happy Birthday" have been done, there wouldn't be any point in the next generation coming along and doing the same thing. Didn't the Fixx already record "Addicted" back in the 80's? I was sure the Goo Goo's did "Over You", but I can't seem to find it. I don't know, maybe joyful choruses, bright keyboards and crunching guitars just sound universally good.

The new Dill-less version of Click Five sounds great, perfect vocals and hooks mixed up big, loud and splashy. Kyle Patrick looks and sounds like a star to me, ain't he pretty? Heck yes. The song writing by the band's core members is very good, though as almost always happens in young bands, they rely on tempo changes within songs too much to add drama. Copying traditional song transitions and passages is inevitable when you lack maturity, but you can never learn to have an ear for what sounds good, that's instinct. Just as an album, this cuts up anything a similar sounding big pop band like, say, The Outfield, ever did. With that they can grow and do something really memorable, there's certainly nothing on this CD that grates the ears, though much of it sounds like the same song, especially in the choruses. Still, lots of promise, hope they go someplace.

I've been a Click Five fan since I first saw them back in early 2005. Their first CD, Greetings From Imrie House, easily had me hooked. However, as time passed, it seemed my so-called 'obsession' with them was fading.

A few months ago, I heard the first single off the new album, "Jenny", and noticed a completely different sound. After some research, I found out that the lead singer had left and was replaced by Kyle. Kyle's voice is very refreshing. After going to a couple of their small venue shows earlier this month, it's clear that they have matured greatly in their music. The passion they have for their music and the show they put on makes me realize WHY I fell in love with them in the first place.

If you weren't a fan of The Click Five before, I say give this CD a listen - I'm sure your mind will change.

My favorite tracks on the album are "Headlight Disco" and "Addicted To Me". "Addicted To Me" has a funky disco-type vibe to it. "Headlight Disco" makes you want to get up and dance. GREAT album.