Gym Class Heroes "As Cruel as School Children" Album
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Title: As Cruel as School Children Format: Album Label: Fueled By Ramen Released: 2006-11-04 |
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Buy As Cruel as School Children! |
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Tracklisting & Lyrics
1. 1st period: The Queen and I lyrics »2. 2nd period: Shoot Down the Stars lyrics »
3. 3rd Period: New Friend Request lyrics »
4. 4th period: Clothes Off!! lyrics »
5. Lunch: Sloppy Love Jingle Pt. 1 lyrics »
6. 6th period: Viva La White lyrics »
7. 7th Period: 7 Weeks lyrics »
8. 8th period: It's Ok, But Just This Once! lyrics »
9. Study Hall: Sloppy Love Jingle Pt. 2 lyrics »
10. 10th Period: Biters Block lyrics »
11. Yearbook Club: Boys In Bands Interlude lyrics »
12. 12th period: Scandalous Scholastics lyrics »
13. 13th period: On My Own Time (Write On!) lyrics »
14. Intramurals: Cupid's Chokehold lyrics »
15. Detention: Sloppy Love Jingle Pt. 3 lyrics »
Reviews
The Roots aren't the only hip-hop group to build their sound around live instrumentation. Yet this Upstate New York quartet doesn't sound much like Philly's finest. Further, As Cruel as School Children is more radio-ready than previous efforts, especially "Cupid's Chokehold," which appropriates Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" to fine effect, i.e. "Take a look at my girlfriend / She's the only one I got." (A different mix appears on The Papercut Chronicles.) Not many indie-pop artists can freestyle, though, as frontman Travis McCoy proves on "Sloppy Love Jingle, Pts. 1-3," a trio of a cappella raps. Aside from dividing these tracks into "periods," "study halls," and the like, in fitting with the high school theme, McCoy's narratives touch on teachers, cheerleaders, and lunch room chatter. Guests include William Beckett (The Academy Is...) on "7 Weeks" and Speech (Arrested Development) on "Biter's Block." Cruel as School Children was co-produced by Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy) and released by band mate Pete Wentz's Decaydance imprint. Stump, who pops up in the "Cupid" video, also provides programming and backing vocals. ~Kathleen C. Fennessy, Amazon.com Well it helps if you're best mates with Pete Wentz and you get Patrick Stump to champion your cause. Or does it? Supporting Fall Out Boy is unlikely to get you any new fans but then, when you're signed to DacayDance Label what is a band to do?What they've done is carry on regardless and released a new album, that is attracting fans from afar with the Myspace ode, 'New Friend Request' making the OST of Snakes On A Plane; definitely one for the teenagers with the computer keyboard noise sample and references to 'top eight'.
The opener, 'The Queen And I' is a Latin-flavoured warning about excessive alcohol consumption. Ricky Martin would have a big hit with it and 'Clothes Off' (featuring Mr. Stump) is their rap to Jermaine Stewart's eighties pop-disco classic 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off'. While on the subject of Patrick 'All over the Internet' Stump, he did a live solo vision of the Ne-Yo hit 'So Sick" on Jo Whiley's show a few months ago when they were in London. For a Fall Out Boy, he's got quite a soulful voice and certainly knows how to sing.
So while we're at it, they call in some help on '7 Weeks' with the singer from The Academy Is… and the funky 'Biter's Block' features Speech (of Arrested Development). The kids' chorus on 'Biter's Block' make it sound like 'The Wall', which is not good for me. Clearly not adverse to the concept album as the School/Playground is their comfort zone as in 'Scandalous Scholastics'.
My favourites apart from 'Clothes Off' and 'New Friend Request', is the 'boy next door' beat poet rap of the 'Sloppy Love', where front man Travis McCoy pretends to be the awkward geek school kid (a Fall Out Boy theme?).
The live instruments sound good and apparently they are excellent live. Today is the last date of their 'Jerry's Kids Short Bus Tour 2006' (Jilians in Las Vegas if you're in Sin City) and then they've got separate gigs with the odd trio of Hot Hot Heat, The Bamboozle Left, Matisyhu(!) before a big November tour with The All-American Rejects.
I haven't mentioned the Hectic gripe of covers recently but this has an excellent cover and the CD is a great follow-up to The Papercut Chronicles and you don't have to have a 'I <3 Travis' friendship tattoo or be Samuel L. Jackson to see the cross-over potential of Gym Class Heroes. Hip hop purists might approve, but don't be as cruel as school children, give them a listen. ~fly.co.uk