Well, well, it’s finally here. The most anticipated album of 2011, “Riot! In The Boulevard”, a self titled album from the American rock quintet, has been hyped up to a considerable level over the last few months, and for good reason. Ryan Ross Hernandez has been quoted describing flame haired lead singer, and author of almost all the songs on the album, Amy Meyer, as “The great red hope”, on a number of occasions, having worked with the band in the production stage of their first full length, whilst Scott H of Sanitary Towel, and formerly of Blood Of Wecz described them as one of the only new bands actually worth listening to. But with two such musical heavyweights erecting a daunting pedestal for Riot! To stand atop, would they wobble, teeter and fall off, or would they scale the height with ease and stand tall, triumphant and proud?
Firstly, to describe this band as “they”, is almost disappointingly misleading. We all know that lead singers are the star attractions in bands, and we’re only too aware that pretty female lead singers of rock bands are tremendously more popular than even most lead singers. However, Riot! In the Boulevard almost IS Amy Meyer, or rather she IS Riot! It was rather disconcerting to read a comment during the promo stages of this album in which Justin Mullen described he and his band mates merely as “Amy’s puppets”. As a guitarist myself, and perennial background man for Moronic Changeling, GL(I)TCH and Katie Coyle, I find it quite sad that Mullen and co take a back seat to what is, admittedly, a rather commanding force up front. The album cover itself speaks volumes however…it’s almost as if Amy could crush the insignificant poor guys whenever she feels ready.
Hold the phone though! I’m letting my own inferiority complex get the better of me here. Back to the real business at hand; the actual album. “Riot! In the Boulevard" was recorded in Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California, and features production from the likes of Ryan Ross Hernandez, Damion Holmes, and the guitarist beater…I mean, Amy Meyer. What, I can’t say that? What does libel mean? Oh dear….ummm, okay, Amy was the best producer on this by far! With an all star cast behind them, it’s quite surprising to note that Riot! Are releasing this album through relatively unassuming label, Nomad Records.
But that’s quite typical of this young rock act. Despite the hype and furore surrounding the imminent release of a full length album, they have managed to stay relatively low-key, out of the limelight, and out of any controversy, unlike many artists do before their debut. This is a respectable characteristic to have, especially when it would have been all too easy to slip into faux-superstar mode, with every man and his dog fawning over them since they first toured with Fathers of Fury earlier in the year. We can only admire and applaud how humble they have been so far, but will it last?
The reason I ask, is because this CD is excellent. Seriously. From start to finish, it is laden with catchy hooks, killer riffs and beats, and an awesome array of vocals from a girl who, as much as it pains me to say it, really carries a song well. When Amy sings, you get this sense of her grabbing the track by the scruff of its neck and shouting “BEHAVE! OR ELSE!” She really does just feel so cool, collected and in control at all times.
The album begins with a catchy bass line, reminiscent of Blink 182’s material from the late 90’s, and the song from whence it came, “Thoughts Like This”, splendidly introduces the listener to the recorded wonder of Riot! In The Boulevard. It’s a very catchy song, gripping from the start, and full of energy, as Amy Meyer reaches deep into your soul with her emotions, relaying tales of loneliness, rejection, and how the two ultimately cause her to feel insane. The chorus is lyrically fantastic, “And It’s Thoughts Like This That Makes Me Go Insane/ Like A Drug Filled Needle Sticking In My Vein/ And It’s Thoughts Like This That Me Go Insane/ For You I’d Take A Bullet To The Brain” allowing the listener to get a genuine feel for the true emotions of the youngster. It doesn’t feel laboured either, as far too many emo anthems over the years have begun to. This feels genuine, and that makes it all the more wondrous.
On the first listen to “Mona Lisa Smile”, I was left, for the first few seconds anyway, feeling a little cold. From the brilliant energy of the opener, Riot! Delve into an accapella verse, detailing a rather sparse description of what we later discover to be a fictional care-free young girl.
The crashing energy which we expect from Riot! Then comes flooding in back in, and it’s eminently better straight away. This is a song which I feel will grow the more listens it receives, but I don’t think it’s placed well on the album, what with the very slow opening verse, which slows the pace down a little too quickly after such a vivacious beginning. That’s not to say it’s not a very good song though. Standing alone, it is still outstanding.
The beginning of “All is Fair in Love and War” had me reaching for the volume on my CD player, as heavy beats and riffs blared uncontrollably out. This song is a lot rockier than the previous two, and the violent nature of the music provides emphasis on the angry undertones of the lyrics. Riot! turn political here, which may be a surprise for those who look at them, and immediately think they’ll just be another generic pop-punk outfit. The song has a strong message relayed throughout, as Amy’s pleading voice asks us to look at what we’re all doing to each other, look at how we’re fighting each other. It is rather poignant, but epic at the same time. “Is That Peace In Front Of Us… It’s A F**king Mirage,” embodies the theme of the song, with a striking anti-war message.
“Sweet Little Fantasy’s” is the next track, and it’s a real winner. Riot!’s debut single, it was a massive success when it was first released, perhaps the reason for much of the hype surrounding them at this point in time. There really isn’t much that I can say about this track that hasn’t been said before. It’s like, a signature for the mind, ingraining exactly what Riot! Are about, deep into the subconscious of the listener. The song has modern influence, whilst drawing from the glory days of stadium rock, and is sure to be the highlight of many a festival this summer.
The next two tracks pale into rather a colourless insignificance next to “Sweet Little Fantasy’s”. Again, it is so important to stress that neither are bad songs. However, the order of tracks lets Riot! Down for the second time here sadly. Placing the lead single directly before a very low key, melodic effort (which is normally played as fully acoustic at live shows) again only serves to disrupt the energy that they bring to the table so emphatically. Whilst the energy lost during “Kiss Goodbye to Harvest Moon” is somewhat rekindled once “All the Stars and Boulevards” eventually kicks in (it also starts decidedly slowly), I can’t help but think that if I’m going to skip any part of the album, it may be these two tracks.
Allow me though to defy my own logic briefly. Following on from these two, is the absolutely incredible “A Moment, An Hour A Lifetime”, a low key, slow, emotional rollercoaster of a song which truly tugs on the heart strings. Amy’s voice is wonderful throughout the slower track, as the production allows the raw emotion and pain which she has evidently felt at some point in life, seep through and merge with the music into an exceptional piece of art. This song, with it’s powerful lyrics, such as, “People Say It’s Better To Have Loved And Lost/But If This Is/The Pain I’ll Feel Then I’ll Pay The Cost/Because Living Without You Is A Pain I Can’t Take/And Although I’ll Live On, My Heart Will Still Ache,” will connect with teenagers all over the world, and will, in my opinion, define the audience who will be buying Riot! Merch and music for years to come. Singles aside, this is my album highlight.
“Long Distance Conversations” continues to take the album in that much lower key direction. The song is believed to relate to Amy Meyer’s relationship with Callum Williams of Dead Roses, and is perhaps the first time we hear lyrics which directly relate to a time in her own life.
“And Another Long Distance Conversation/ With A Two Second Delay/ Is Enough To Put A Pain In Your Heart/ But It Will Get You Through The Day,” is a very emotive section of a song which is obviously very personal to Amy, and which will, again, connect with the type of audience Riot! Are clearly targeting.
The sound of a train chugging consistently along a track brings about a symbolic end to the softer section of “Riot!…”. When “Assassination in a Subway Station” kicks in, it truly does make the listener bounce along in time. The song itself is tragic, relaying a story of a girl who lost her mother to murder (although the cause can only be presumed from the title)…but it really does bring out the best in Riot! As a band. The music is energetic, loud and jumpy, with Amy’s voice rawer than elsewhere on the album, and so moreish. When all goes briefly silent, and Amy screams “Cry Cry Cry, Oh Cry Cry Cry” with a raw emotion that makes the hairs on your neck stand up, you suddenly feel a deep connection to band who, on this form, will have so much to offer for the years to come which they will no doubt spend at the very pinnacle of the industry.
Whether “Echoes of My Soul” becomes a single in the future or not, it is undeniably one of Riot!’s more poppy songs. A mixture of pure pop-rock which is more reminiscent of Busted than Riot! With a soft melodic side which wouldn’t sound out of place in a more upbeat Michelle Greene track, Amy again lets her heart do the talking, in yet another song which you can expect teenagers to lap up over the coming months.
Whilst the track is definitely different to most of their other songs, and may be a little too different for some fans, the final accapella lines, “So This Is Not The End Of Your Dreams/This Is Just The Start/Believe In The Echoes Of Your Soul/Believe It With All Your Heart.” again scores a direct hit in the heart strings. This girl certainly knows how to generate a tear or 2 million.
When we hear a title such as “Dear Diary”, a concept which many a pop star has raped for generic chart assault, it may be all too easy to scoff and slap the emo sticker all over it. However, this song really has something. Starting slowly, and welcoming the energy again later in the track, “Dear Diary” is a real coming of age epic, and “I Owe A Lot To Your White Blank Pages/You Help Me Grow Up, Through The Ages,” is amongst the best lyrics I’ve heard in the last five years. So poignant, and so true to many teenagers and young adults, it is really indicative of what people all over the world owe to their secret, non-judgemental confidante.
“Dear Diary” also put a smile on my face, as Justin Mullen was allowed to shine, with a really brilliant guitar solo, which not only sounds great on it’s own, but really compliments the track, like a fine white wine does to an expensive fish dish.
And the solos don’t end there! Clearly, this is turning into the “Justin Mullen extravaganza” towards the end of the album, and he hits all the right notes again with his mid-track solo during “Something Old, Something New”, the final “official track” on the brilliant debut. The album finale contains the kind of chorus that could end up staying with you for weeks too. Isn’t that a great way to end an album? The chorus is as stand out as it is typical of Riot! ““Something Old, Something New, Something Fragile/Will My Broken Heart Do/Something Old, Something New, Something Dying/It’s Sent To You.” I can just picture thousands of teens chanting along in time all summer long.
Now! Should you have bought a CD version of the album, skip to the conclusion now…but if you were cool, and modern, and bought the album on iTunes, then please continue.
The first of two iTunes bonus tracks on “Riot!…” is called “Clip My Wings”, and features Jack Straw of Fathers of Fury, a co-writer of the song, which was penned in conjunction with Meyer during their time together on tour. It’s quirky, it’s cool, and if rumours are to be believed, it is set to appear on Taylor Asbridge’s “…And Friends” album later this year. A fun song, which is different to every other track here, although that’s only to be expected when we take the outside influence into account.
And finally, the archetypal Riot! song. Everyone knows it, everyone loves it. It is, of course, “All The Non Believers”, the song which signifies the band’s most successful moment to date, when it raced to number on in the Top 20 Airplay chart a number of weeks back.
The song starts, like a few on the album do, with an accapella intro, before bursting to life, and providing what is, without doubt, one of the most memorable sing-along choruses of the year so far. “We Are All The Non Believers/We Are Just Losers And Leavers/We Are Lovers And Breeders/We Are All The Non Believers.” is just so catchy it’s quite unbelievable. One can picture sweaty teens, tears in their eyes, joyously firing these words back at the red haired beauty in front of them, night after night, for a long time to come. This song typifies everything about who Riot! are. It is energetic, catchy, and a sing-along classic for the modern era. Most of all, it is, without doubt, the highlight of a brilliant debut album.
To sum up this album is actually rather easy. Each song is individually great, and together, they will stand the test of time. As far as debut albums go, this will rival Katie Coyle’s “Raindrops, Caffeine an other Liquid Stimulants” and Lily's "Raw" for a much coveted “best of 2011”, and the winner is anyone’s guess. Riot! Have created a real signature sound here though. This isn’t just any old rock record. It is a magnificent mixture of talent, energy, and amazing lyrical prowess which defies their age, both in terms of life and career span.
The only negative points, which I have mentioned above are; the order of tracks. Each song really is brilliant, but the placement of some songs in relation to others sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. This skill will be easily learned over time though. Perhaps slightly more disappointingly though, is how the album as a whole measures up to its two precursors….the singles. Sadly, the two singles turn out to be the two album highlights as opposed to a taster of what is to come.
Again though, let’s not take away anything from this band. They have done something admirable by putting their collective head down and getting on with their music. An all too rare occurrence these days. They have skill, they have talent, and they have a classic debut album which will rocket them all the way to future musical royalty. Most importantly though, I guarantee you, they have next week’s number one!
Score time! And if this album had managed to reach the heights all round of the singles we had heard before its release, it could have easily reached the giddy heights of 9....sadly, the two songs slightly overshadow the, still brilliant, rest of the album, and it gets an excellent
8/10Lukey Comatoseooc: I tried to make this as comprehensive as I could. Reading your album back, it really is special, lyrically and decription-wise. So hopefully this does it justice. I tried to include some negative to make it more believable, and gave Lukey a babbling start by complaining about lead singers lol. Let me know if it's okay. :)
