Growing up is a painful process, but The Starting Line's newest album "Direction," proves that the whole thing can be a lot easier if you punctuate the darkly emotional quicksand of maturation with a simple smile.
In 2002, The Starting Line was one of pop-punk's most promising acts. Fronted by then-16-year-old Kenny Vasoli, the band was cruising on the success of its first full-length album, "Say It Like You Mean It." With catchy riffs and squeaky-clean vocals from Vasoli, the band wasn't all that different from most of the other pop-punk acts of the time. But they managed to set themselves apart with the single "Best of Me," loved by high schoolers across the nation.
Following stints on the Warped Tour and gigs with catchy-rock giants such as New Found Glory and Fall Out Boy, the band hit the studio again in May of 2005 to record its second major label album, "Based On A True Story," an angsty album full of stick-it-to-the-man melodies about the young group's disillusionment with the record industry.
"Based On A True Story" was less successful than the band's debut, contributing partially to the band's decision to part ways with Geffen Records, rendering them free agents at what some may have considered the peak of their career.
Bringing us back to the present, the band signed with Virgin in 2006 and began recording its next album, "Direction," released in August. The album is very much in the same vein of "Based On A True Story," except the majority of the songs display some maturity - not in the music itself, but rather in Vasoli, as the songs chronicle his aging process.
The title track begins with a discordant building guitar line that breaks into Vasoli singing about how he was, "breaking sweats in the night-time/ I was growing my hair/ and I could not care/ what they think."
While the song speaks of maturity, the songwriting itself is rather basic, telling the story of the band's rise to fame and sequential issues with accepting its role in the music industry. The song, although catchy and well-rounded, is a bit too superficial. Of course it's tough to be famous, but Kenny should try to dig a little deeper for sentiment next time.
While the title track leaves the listener feeling a bit sorry for the bewildered singer, the second track, ingeniously titled "21," deals with ... well, it's obvious. The song is definitely a good theme for celebration, but as Vasoli croons, "It's seven and I'm already wasted/ I'm 21 and I'm already hazy/ What am I gonna do," it becomes painfully evident that Kenny really doesn't know what to do next.
Although it may seem that this album is pitching a perfect no-hitter thus far, it could be much worse. Even though the songs are a bit shallow and self-centered, the album in its entirety is some catchy pop-punk with just a dash of managed aggression - a big improvement from the band's earlier tendency to wallow in self-hatred.
The first single off of "Direction," entitled "Island," is perhaps the best song on the album. What's best about this tune is that the lyrics (and more importantly, their writer) don't take themselves too seriously. When Vasoli says, "If we survive/ Get out alive/ I'd like to say how beautiful I think you are," it's really refreshing not to hear him singing about himself. "Island" is simply a memorable, easygoing love song, and the band as a whole could benefit from acknowledging that those songs are what the guys do best.
As the album plays on, the pattern becomes even more noticeable; the songs about self-doubt and self-pity fall flat, while the hopeful melodies sound fresh and alive. The chorus of "Something Left to Give" is entirely made up of "la-la-la's," yet it's perhaps one of the most suitable tracks for singing along.
The sentimental value of lines like "When I am old and plain lazy/ I'll have a little something left to give / To all those who loved me so much/ I'd like to return the favor," far outweighs the negative tone of "They say you've lost your way with words/ And to me, what could be worse?"
The Starting Line has put out a solid third album that doesn't take any huge risks or demonstrate any large changes in the band's formula. Although it will most likely not turn huge dividends, there is a shimmer of shrewdness and sophistication in the album that hints at a very bright future - that is, if the band can realize that life really isn't all that bad.
