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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good album, but not straight away..., August 9, 2006
If you're buying the long-expected sequal to 2003's "What Are You Waiting For?" expecting an album with exactly the same formula (as I was), you are going to be disappointed.
Not to say "Critically Ashamed" isn't any good, because it is. But the initial spin I gave it left me feeling disappointed because it wasn't what I had been waiting for, for so long. After more spins though, I got over that fact and started enjoying the songs. Talking about the songs, let's get into a track-by-track review:
#1: "Hope The Rock Show Goes Good"
This is a classic intro, with a young relative of Trevor wishing him luck for the show.
#2: "Flop Culture"
First time round, this song sounds like it could be on "What Are You Waiting For?" with the rest of it's songs, music-wise. But the choice of subject in the lyrics isn't too interesting, it's more about dissing Michael Jackson, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears and MTV. I'd prefer that they stick to singing about girls, summer and school. Still, it's a catchy upbeat song.
#3: "Six Candles"
The second song on the album and already the first lower-tempo song. Strong lyrics and appropriate music accomanying them. This is when you first notice that this album is definitely going in a different direction than the debut album, as the lyrics are much slower than before and the intonation is not quite "happy".
#4 "The Next Big Thing"
This is one of the most catchy songs on this album and probably the one which is going to get stuck in your head frequently. Like Flop Culture, it sounds like a song you'd expect from FM Static, but the execution is once again that tiny bit different which separates it from the debut album material. It really is a sing-a-long track though.
#5 "America's Next Freak"
Another song which doesn't really have an energetic feeling to it, moreso a mature, emotional feeling. It does it well though, as it's just as catchy as the upbeat tracks on the album.
#6 "Tonight"
"Critically Ashamed"'s equivalant of "Hey Now" from the debut album, except this time the song isn't entirely accoustic. It's another emotional song which comes with strong lyrics.
#7 "The Video Store"
For me, this is one of the poorer songs. The chosen subject just doesn't seem quite right, obsessing over a girl you met once in a video store and never forgetting that day. It sounds kind of lame, and that feeling is amplified by the "Ah, ah, ah"'s in the chorus and the Fred Durst bashing in the second verse.
#8 "Girl Of The Year"
A fun song with fun lyrics. No important lyrics here, but it doesn't hurt the song. This is one of the songs which attains the "What Are You Waiting For?" feeling the most.
#9 "Nice Piece Of Art"
The song itself isn't brilliant, but it has a killer chorus which you look forward to from the beginning of each verse. It's another slow song though, of which it becomes apparant this far in that the album is 50% (or maybe a bit more) slower songs. They're all good though, so it's not a downside, unless you're expecting more of the debut album.
#10 "What It Feels Like"
This song isn't anything special. It's okay, but not the song which is going to be played the most on this album. There's nothing wrong with the lyrics, but the execution of the song is forgetful.
#11 "Waste Of Time"
This song surprised me, in that even though it wouldn't blend in with the other songs from the debut album (though it's not particularly slow like "Nice Piece Of Art"), I think of it as one of, if not the best track on this album. The verses and the chorus are great and the music sounds great as well.
#12 "Moment Of Truth"
The closing track on this album is an almost exact copy of the closing track "Hey Now" from the debut album. This is really not a bad thing, as the slow, accoustic "Hey Now" is one of my favourite tracks from that album. Therefore, this track is destined to attain the same status in my books. The intonation of the vocals is perfect and the guitar accompanying them sounds just like it should.
All in all, this album is far from a disappointment, once you get over the surprise of your expectations being off. The album was advertised by FM Static as "a summer album which will stick with you paired with the memories of the best summer you ever had", but it's not that. "What Are You Waiting For?" is, as whenever I hear a song from it, I remember Summer and Fall 2003 vividly. That album felt overall more energetic and bouncy to me.
One thing the successor has in common with it's predecessor is the squeaky-clean lyrics, but that's okay, because I wasn't expecting different as the band is classified as Christian Rock, and I if want to hear "tough" lyrics, there are plenty of other bands I listen to which can give me that. One could say that the change in this album from energetic bouncy pop-rock to slightly less bouncy and slower is simply the maturing of the band, but I don't need FM Static to mature; again, there are enough bands who mature with each coming album, and after all, FM Static *is* a side-project.
So, finally, don't think I'm advising against buying this album, I'm just trying to explain why I preferred FM Static's debut album more. I like this album a lot and therefore give it 4 out of 5 stars! Buy it, give it a chance, and I'm sure you'll like it as well.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another solid outing!, August 2, 2006
FM Static's sophomore effort pretty much picks up where their very cool 2003 debut left off. Witty lyrics, with an often tongue in cheek attitude, abound as Trevor McNevan & Steve Augustine have a field day poking fun at American Pop Culture on tracks like "Flop Culture", "America's Next Freak" and "Girl Of The Year", all of which possess a Butch Walker/Marvelous 3 type vibe. At other times the records sound will remind many of groups like Blink-182 (especially on a couple of ballads), Weezer and even Fountains of Wayne in spots. FM Static self-produced the disc, and the result is a slightly less polished and somewhat grittier sensibility than the Aaron Sprinkle produced debut. But not so much that fans will even take much notice. Now when all is sung and done the band doesn't really take a step forward with this album, but then they certainly don't take any steps back either. So though Critically Ashamed is indeed a fun and engaging listen, I'm not expecting to see them in heavy rotation on secular radio or the Fuse channel just yet.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pop-rock with sugar on top!, August 1, 2006
In a world of copycat posers and 15 minute idols, it's good to hear a band that does what they love and doesn't think twice about the trends. Fm Static, the pop/punk/rock side-project of TFK's front man Trevor McNevan, are finally back with their long awaited follow-up to 2003's 'what are you waiting for' entitled Critically Ashamed. Anyone who's listened to TFK or FM knows that Trevor pours his heart into each and every album he does, making them as catchy, energetic and insightful as possible. 'Ashamed' is no exception. Lead by the nfg-esque single "next big thing", 'ashamed' rocks and rolls through 40 something minutes of pure, quality pop-punk, not a single second of which can be described as filler. No lie; the songs featured here are quite possibly the catchiest tunes you'll hear all summer!
FM static may be a bit poppy, but their passion and energy is more than enough to fill the void left by veteran pop-punk bands 3 or 4 years earlier.
'Critically Ashamed' is 100% authentic AND gets my highest recommendation. Hear for yourself and discover why pop-punk isn't quite dead just yet.
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