Posted on: September 29, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Minutes Too Far’s “Let it Roll” captures I think the essential of what scenesters crave these days. Each song has radio quality, poppy with vocals that don’t really travel from the standard and onto new and adventurous. The vocalist never really sounds like the same guy from track to track, but his many personas are all safe. I feel as though at times that the beat carried through from song to song, which made them, go by unnoticed. The group uses thickness through multiple vocals, which does help break up the monotony. But once again, it isn’t very risky at all, there is no harmony included. There a few fun elements, nothing too signature or outstanding. All in all I think Minutes Too Far will be loved for the same reasons as the bands they sound similar to.

I can hear a bit of Fueled by Ramen flavor in the first two tracks, especially in the vocals. Definitely sounding a bit like Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, with a thick and calming tone. The opening song had a nice vocal contrast between the lower matching the music and the higher voice standing out from it. “Uh Huh” immediately had me thinking Jimmy Eat World. The song was fun, the faint clapping added a bit of individuality to it. “Love is a Dance” shows a bit more strength in vocals as the singer whispers yet still holds solid and doesn’t get lost in the backing instrumentals. The disc also has a neat intermission which I enjoyed leading right up into my favorite song on it, “Gimme a Reason”. It had the most depth and variation musically; the catchiest chorus that sticks, a bit more depth all around. The guitar solo was a nice step outside the box that worked and should be done more often in the work to help the band stand apart. But make sure unique elements don’t get corny, like the clapping in “Quit Your Hardcore Band (While You Still Can)”

My other favorite track on the album would be “Eat Your Heart Out.” It got immediate props for playing up the bass, an element you will find works wonders for the Plain White T’s. One of the more fun songs, it stands out to me most and I enjoyed it a lot. The album did end on a cool note that I liked, dissipating into a cool percussion sequence. It added complexity to the album as a whole and ended me on the note that I may just pick it up again.

Top Tracks: Gimme a Reason, Eat Your Heart Out

Rating: 7.4/10

Minutes Too Far – Let It Roll / 2006 Band Recordings / 11 Tracks / http://www.minutestoofar.com / http://www.myspace.com/bandrecordings / Reviewed 28 May 2007

[Charlie]

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