Bro, Seriously... you need to buy this
Having been in action for in excess of ten years, seen band members come and go and have yet to achieve significant critical and/or commercial success, one starts to fear that it may be all downhill from here. Yet even from the first moments of Second Family, it becomes immediately apparent that this is not to be the case for persistent American pop punk outfit Patent Pending.
The consistently-strong fifteen track release flows from song to song with impeccable ease, unfailingly delivering infectious choruses with warming harmonies and memorable vocal hooks. Their compositions frequently utilize major-minor twists that bands like Bowling For Soup have begun to use in recent years since collaborating with producer Linus Dotson and these harmonic touches allow the band to progress beyond the restrictive barrier that often presents itself when using nothing but power chords.
The popular culture references used in songs like Shake Weight & Moving Crates may one day become archaic, but as a product of modern relevance, it excels charmingly. The poppy edge gives the band a Son of Dork-type of vibe and despite James Bourne's endeavour not existing much outside the world of musical theatre these days, Patent Pending seem to have an endearing quality that should allow them to flourish in the pop punk scene. Cut, Copy, Paste and Little Miss Impossible each continue in a similarly spirited vein, but a momentous twist for the album comes in the form of We're Freakin' Out (Map To Tahiti) which, although it exhibits quite a nightmarish vibe, amazingly always retains the enchanting Patent Pending persona.
The additions of a brass section and strings have been superbly handled in the production, giving tracks like lively dance number Set The Sun On Fire and crafty acoustic heartwarmer Spin Me Around the extra little touches of finesse. The album strides into its punkiest sound with Valentine, with drummer Anthony Mingoia throttling the Patent Pending vehicle forwards at full pelt. The album's title track rounds off the initial twelve song collection beautifully, easing into motion with acoustic delicacy and gradually powering into life as a strong teenage anthem complete with the proud delivery of a heart-on-chest statement.
First bonus track Bro, Seriously briefly reprises the sing-along feel of standout single Douchebag's coda, adding a sense of continuity with the featuring of this a cappella revisit. Closing bonus tracks One Less Heart to Break and Dance 'Till We Die, round off the album in style. While the former is a touching piece with a incredible degree of emotion poured into its musical and lyrical composition, it is the latter that shines as being one of the band's finest tunes to date; a pop punk show-stopper at heart, but yet it flaunts a lovable dance personality thanks to the fitting electronic elements and busy hi-hat work. Both songs may have featured on the band's 2010 album I'm Not Alone, but they do feel as though they deserve to be essentials in order to avoid potentially being regarded as bonus afterthoughts.
Second Family is an utterly delightful release from the New York pop punkers. They've clearly used their years of experience to mature a fantastic sound that truly blossoms at the hands of producer Jordan Schmidt (All Time Low, Motion City Soundtrack). If Patent Pending continues to pull songs of this quality out of the hat, there is surely absolutely no stopping them. An essential pop-punk purchase.