A Rioutously Energetic Parade
Strike up the marching band and let the ticket tape fall from the sky there’s a new parade in town, one that’s determined to slay all with their infectiously charged dynamic music. Formed out of the combination of two already formed bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment, Mayday Parade take emo led lyrics and strapped them to a huge wedge of pop punk, injecting each track with an irresistible dose of angst fed energetic rock to simultaneously tug at the heart strings whilst getting hips swaying to the hook drenched melodies.
Armed with smart, wit fuelled lyrics that bounce around with infectious ease and a vibrant energy that is hard to beat, ‘A Lesson In Romantics’ shimmies its way out of the starting blocks with ‘Jamie All Over’, instantly winning your affections with incessant hooks. With a chugging guitar riff announcing its arrival, ‘Jamie All Over’ is a dose of pure adrenalinised catchiness as vocalists Derek Sanders and Jeremy Lenzo play off one another, building the track to an invigorating burst of fist in the air chanting. Mayday Parade have definitely hit the ground running as ‘A Lesson In Romantics’ goes on to unmask the sinisterly seductive rush of ‘Black Cat’, blending the contagiousness of The Academy Is … with the intelligently dark lyrics of Panic At the Disco before erupting with the pop powered punch of ‘When You Get Home, You’re So Dead’ that stomps and stamps its way affectionately out of the speakers with lines such as “lipstick lullabies” and “the moral this time is that girls make boys cry” adding that little extra twist to the track. ‘Jersey’ sees the Florida five piece throwing in some more emo tinged lyrics such as “Jersey just colder and I’ll have you know I’m scared to death” clinging to a hook ridden melody that makes way only for a guitar solo to ensnare even the most reluctant listener.
Bucking the trend slightly and throwing in something of a wild card, Mayday Parade prove that they are not ones to stick to the normal emo come punk formula of relying rigidly on the upbeat numbers as ‘Miserable At Best’ doesn’t so much ease off the gas but takes its foot completely off the accelerator. Introspective and dripping with emotion, ‘Miserable At Best’ relies purely on the simplicity of a single piano backing Lenzo and Sander’s voices to insure that you are stopped in your tracks. But Mayday Parade are far from being the type of guys to have you gazing at your shoes for long as they immediately charge straight back into the dance floor stomps that instantly have feet tapping with the brilliantly titled ‘Walk On Water Or Drown’ before being nudged out the way for the anthem-esque ‘I’d Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About’ leaving the thought provoking ponder of the extremely long titled ‘You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground, I’ll Be The Wings That Keep Your Heart In The Clouds’ a fitting finale to the album.
Taking note of the duel vocal combination that previously gave Taking Back Sunday that extra power boast, Mayday Parade sparkle with some pop infectiousness to make the hips shake and the feet move in the same vein as Kids In Glass Houses are doing on these shores. Exploding with fun, steeped in every emotion and brimming with intelligently wit filled lyrics, Mayday Parade don’t merely offer a lesson in romantics, they provide a lesson in how to really conquer this genre. Let the parades begin.