When the Fairfax, VA-based band Escape the Armada hit me up to listen to their recent release Monsters, I have to tell you that I didn’t know what to expect–but I didn’t expect this. It’s a great blend of powerpop, rock, electro, dance and even rap–pretty much everything that makes pop music “popular” these days.
From the opening notes of the opening track, the immediate impression I had was the fantastic production value. This band is currently unsigned, but you’d never know it from the record. The blend, the mix, and the overall sound easily matches anything you’d hear on Top-40 radio–plus solid rhythms and great hooks that make you want to dance and sing. Everything the way it should be.
Except…
Here’s the only critique I have about the record: it’s great, but it’s not new. The music and the songs are catchy, but I didn’t hear anything on the record that I haven’t heard in some version elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong, Monsters is not “mediocre,” not by any stretch; it’s really good, it’s worth a listen, and it’s lots of fun. It’s just that this band has done an excellent job doing what pretty much everybody else in their field is doing–and in an already over-saturated market, it’s not enough just to make really good pop music. Without some extra “oomph” to make them stand out from the throng, I think it’s really a crap shoot as to whether their vibe is going to take them very far in this market.
If I were coaching this band, I’d say Escape the Armada has laid a really good foundation thus far; now it’s just time to take the next steps. The question in front of them isn’t what makes them good, but what makes them different.
But heck, that’s just my opinion. Here’s my personal favorite track off the record, “Without You.” Listen for yourself and see what you think.