Bored Already
By the time opening track 'Devil In Me' reaches its halfway mark, I’m already bored. Monotonous, unimaginative fuzziness drones out of the speakers, and after two and a half minutes of the same guitar riff, it simply becomes tedious. No dynamics, no hooks, no memorable melodies. It’s just guitar fuzz.
The 22-20s self-titled debut album does pick up a bit in places, but for the most part it continues in the same vein. Predominantly a collection of andante, riff-based rock and roll tunes, it’s not that the record is particularly bad; it’s just that it’s slightly predictable and tiresome.
There are some standout moments, sure. New single '22 Days' is by far the best song on the album, with it’s snarling bass and memorable riff, along with some very welcome chord changes. In fact, the trio of tracks in the middle of the album – this, 'Friends', and 'Why Don’t You Do It For Me?' – are all examples of what 22-20s are capable if they put their minds to it. These songs sound so much more thorough than the rest of the album, it’s difficult to believe they’re from the same band.
I do feel a harsh man scoring 22-20s so low, and it’s almost worth the extra mark for the three aforementioned tracks alone, but not quite. There’s clear potential here, but with such drab songs filling the gaps – not least the abominable opening and closing pieces – it’s hard to recommend this CD.