You have to question the current state of affairs when you have to apologize for liking an album.
Given the surplus of marketable, pop-punk flavors being bandied about the airwaves, it’s next to impossible to lend an objective ear to any sound that smacks of Orange County. Yet, as hard as it is to NOT hate an album like the Riddlin’ Kids’ Hurry Up and Wait, it’s even more difficult to get the disc’s catchy hooks and rhythms out of your head.
Believe me, I wanted to hate it, if for no other reason than to go against the grain of what MTV tells me is and isn’t okay to listen to. But once you separate the industry chafe from the musical wheat, it’s easy to respect a bunch of guys who delivered pizza 50 hours a week, just to earn enough to produce a top-quality demo.
Comparisons roll off the tongue easily, though the artists themselves dread them. Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, American Hi-Fi and the ilk are unmistakable. However, I prefer to liken these guys to Lit, thanks to Clint Baker’s raspy, anti-whine delivery on the mic.
Tracks that merit the most attention include “Crazy,” “Here We Go Again,” “I Feel Fine,” and “Follow Through.” Of course, what punk album wouldn’t be complete without an amplified version of some ’80s hit? Riddlin’ Kids don’t disappoint, offering their own take on R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” We all need a guilty pleasure to call our own … in this sense, Riddlin’ Kids are worthy.
Aware Records/Columbia
