Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 7.0
Production: 8.0
Originality: 8.0
Tracklisting
2. Stay Gone
3. Let The Reigns Go Loose
4. Fall From Grace
5. Grunge Pig
6. High As The Moon
7. All That I Know
8. Walking On A Wire
9. Wish You Were Here
10. Campfire Kansas
11. The Worst Idea
12. Hannah Hold On
The new definitive Get Up Kids' release, "On A Wire," is setting a new sound for the band. It's one that is unique to their well-established sound of rocking, energetic power-pop emo.
This release definitely is a big step away from what they set out as 6 years ago. They sort of set the standard for all these newer emo pop punk bands and now they are so far removed from that scene and sound, its almost hard to say what they are going for. This release may be establishing and experimenting with a new sound and many will define it as "maturing." I'd define it as "weak."
With an overall very calm sound, at moments this CD can be confused with country folk rock. You read right, country. There is a huge classic rock influence; imagine Beatles meets Bruce Springsteen. It sounds like an punk or emo band trying to play Billy Joel type songs and don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with some Bruce or Billy, but TGUK just don't have experience or what it takes to perform it well. I mean, they aren't the most talented band musically and the singer has a hard enough time staying in key. They should have stuck to the raw upbeat emo pop punk sound they started back in 96, or even the sort of heavy Jimmy Eat Wrold influence they used on "Something to Write Home About". At least it was catchy and enjoyable. This shit just sounds boring, forced, and unnatural to what they were good at doing: writing catchy pop/emo punk songs with great harmonies, dual vocals, and dual guitar parts.
Some of you may like it; maybe an older crowd, or fans of the side project, but fans of 4 min mile, woodson, red letter day and something to write....will be sorely dissappointed, unless you were tired of their sound and looking for something entirely new from them. Why change something that is so catchy and fulfilling? The Get Up kids are entitled to do whatever they want and it is nice to see a group of young musicians broaden their creativity in song writing and mature as a musicians but sometimes its just better to stick to what you are best at doing, and if that means writing the same sing along catchy as hell anthems they were so well known for in songs like "Im a Loner Dottie, a Rebel," or "Oh Amy Don't Hate Me." That's what they should have done.
Although you can surely feel the integrity and honesty in this release at moments, it's not enough to excite me. It is nice to see a band trying to move away from what has become a typically annoying market of trendy, whiny emo pop bands to try and create something more mature and different. Unfortunately, it just doesnt grab you the way their older stuff did.