We Are the In Crowd - Weird Kids (2014)
The first time I ever listened to this album, I was, for lack of a better word, astounded by how much the band has improved on this release in nearly every regard. It was an album I immediately just said "fuck" mentally after hearing in full. Given their pretty decent pop-punk career beforehand, and my criticisms of it, that may seem a bit far-fetched, but allow me the pleasure of elaborating:
On this album, We Are the in Crowd takes a few steps out of their pop-punk environment, and come back swinging with a fistful of quarters ready to punch the jaw of alternative rock and dislocate it, which is something no one saw coming from this band. From the intro "Long Live the Kids" to the ending bonus track (really, the bonus tracks included ARE the only way to listen to this album) "Waiting", the band shows how much they've honed their songwriting skills, and just how powerful vocalist Tay Jardine's voice has gotten since the last album, but everyone seems to bring their A-game here, not necessarily in technicality but just songwriting, and isn't that what's most important? Hell, if that's not enough, just listen to the drum work in "Dreaming Out Loud" and tell me that drummer Rob Chianelli isn't passionate about his craft and doesn't take a note or two from Travis Barker's personal handbook of "how to make simple songs complicated."
Before, people (and to some degree, myself included) noticed the differences between this band and Paramore, but the lines could be a bit blurred, but here? Nearly every damn song could serve as not just a song, but an anthem for whatever the song may be about. Something must've gotten in the water, because they're all performing at maximum effeciency on this album. Not even just the rockier tunes (such as the hateful song about All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth "The Best Thing (That Never Happened)"), but even the calmer songs have a stronger punch to them. Just one listen of "Come Back Home" will have you thinking "damn, that girl can sing!" but that's just an appetizer to the main course on the album, "Windows in Heaven", a passionate, beautiful ballad about vocalist Tay Jardine's dead father, and my God does she deliver one of the best vocal performances of her entire career here. Gorgeous and emotional delivery.
I'm pretty sure every song on here has been in a competition of trying to be my favorite song from the album, and it fluctuates. Sometimes it's the catchy singalong "Remember (To Forget You)", and sometimes it's the gorgeous, soulful, loving "Don't You Worry" directed towards vocalist Tay Jardine's younger sister, but no matter what song it is, it hits the spot and hits the ball straight outta the park and into a windshield of a Bugatti, but the driver ain't even pissed because of how impressive that shit was.
I have absolutely no damn idea what they did with this album, but they KILLED it consistently. If you're a fan of catchy alternative rock/pop-punk music, it should be a crime not to have this album (with the two bonus tracks) in your possession, because as soon as the final track ends, and you have the album on repeat (as you should), you'll just be wanting more.
"We're drowning in jealousy of people we want to be
I'm so sick of being everything to everyone but me."
8/10
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