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Bottom Line - Eloquence Historically, I’ve
been a total sucker for simplistic and hook-filled pop-punk that I suppose in
reality gets rather mundane after a while.
With Bottom Line, I’m on the fence.
Their newest effort Eloquence
is extremely pop oriented, hook-filled and perfect for any fan of Mest, Never
Heard of It, New Found Glory or (insert your own favorite media friendly
bubble-gum punk band here). This
similarity with every X, Y and Z band is what’s keeping me from saying,
“Bottom Line? Yes, they’re awesome!” As I sit here and
type this review, I’m listening to Eloquence
and find myself tapping the floor with my foot and my keyboard with my fingers. Yes, the album is as addictive as my Camel Lights, but it’s
just been done before. Sure Bottom
Line’s track record of touring Japan and making appearances on Warped Tour
before graduating high school is impressive, but who wouldn’t love this mom
and dad friendly rock? Each song is driven
by a power chord structure, infectious vocal and musical harmonies, completed
with pogo-worthy drums. These
sugary musical elements give Bottom Line the ability to become America’s next
arena-rock band so one has to wonder, is Bottom Line sincere or just trying to
hitch a ride on one of the hottest musical bandwagons?
“False Alarm” contains some horn harmonies, which stand out nicely,
“Blind” is mega-hook-filled and perfect material for an adolescent
sing-a-long. “Somewhere in Between” has a rolling and anthem-like feel to
it, while “This Far From a Fire” bounces from slow sung verses to
pogo-worthy choruses. Despite Bottom
Line’s youth, the lyrics are interesting and mature.
They have a strong vocabulary and unlike most of the band’s in their
genre, not every song is about girls and relationships.
The topics on Eloquence revolve
more around life experiences and give the album a happy positive feeling. So okay, how do I
rate Eloquence?
I like it, but I’m not blown away.
It’s nothing cutting edge or brand new so I give it a 6 (out of 10).
Perhaps the joke’s on me and I missed the point, after all they did
tour with Goldfinger this past February. If
you’re a fan of the pop-punk phenomenon, then Bottom Line is for you. If you shudder at the sound of Good Charlotte, then stay
away. Suggested Listening:
“Blind,” “Desperate Measures” and “False Alarm” Copyright 2005 © Popular Underground Magazine |