Select Start - <3 (Review)
Cover art for <3 by Select Start
Named as one of the best 21 unsigned bands of 2008 on PureVolume, Florida-situated powerpop quintet Select Start recently released a six-track record <3. Throughout the record this up-and-coming group prove with crisp vocals, strong melodies and arrangements that stay true to the powerpop genre that the people at PureVolume were definitely on to something, and they are worth keeping an eye on.
The record opens with the ironically titled Kiss Your Genre Goodbye, ironic because rarely do you get to listen to a band so defined, loyal to and constricted by a single genre as Select Start appear to be on this album. This works both to the advantage and disadvantage of the band, the former because they have a very polished sound that portrays them as much more experienced than they actually are, and the latter because unless you are giving the music your full and absolute attention the songs quickly become indistinguishable.
The stories of the songs are skillfully executed tales of typical teenage experiences, as for instance illustrated by the lyrics of the second track, Oh So Epic: “ Let’s stay out late and do things we might regret / Let’s laugh at the stupid girls, so drunk and full of it ” and ” I’ve got issues with people I hate / Sad ex girlfriends, so lonely and begging to date “. I might be out of the loop these days, but if I recall correctly it were lines like these that characterized our teenage anthems a few years back when I was part of the oppositional posse myself.
With the next two songs, Dress Impressive and Hearts Will Explode, the album continues in the same direction as carved out by the opening, and they do it equally well. On the second last track however, the group brings something new to table to tells of potential beyond what’s been displayed so far. A great, techno-inspired opening intro, catchy hooks and lyrical imagery of the relationship between the good old mixtape and the new and improved playlist, which works great as a metaphor for personal relationships, makes A Playlist Killed The Mixtape the strongest song on the record.
<3 is rewarded with a score of 4 out of 6 waves.
In closing the band gives their own version of the now almost clichéd “powerpop ballad” with If You Fall (Fall In Love), which is of course a mandatory appearance on each and every album by a group with any self-respect within the genre, and they do it well. All in all this album goes to show that the editors at PureVolume knows what they are talking about, and even though the lyrics manage to make me feel like the oldest 23 year old in the whole world, I think that with a little luck and hard work this is a band that could easily “pop” sometime soon. This is of course assuming they get picked up by a label, which should be happening soon enough after what they’ve displayed with this record. Easily one of your new favourites if you love the classic powerpop exponents such as Jimmy Eat World and The All-American Rejects.
PS: You can listen to <3 in its entirety at Select Start’s PureVolume profile. If you like it be sure to give the band some love and support by purchasing it digitally from iTunes or the hardcopy from the band’s own webstore.
