I have said it before and I will say it again: "Imitation Is Suicide". When a band creates an album that sounds exactly like hundreds of other bands, they may be accessible, but artistically speaking, they have destroyed any chance of possibly surpassing the other artists that they imitate. Case in point: Last of the Famous. Though the band has a noteworthy resume (members have played in Saves the Day, Give Up the Ghost, and Piebald), their debut effort, The Music or the Misery, fails to contribute anything new to the pop-punk scene and leaves them lost in the sea of other bands with a similar sound.
The press release that accompanied this album raves: "Last of the Famous is the band to turn the music world on its head... This four-piece delivers hooks without formula and attitude without the stereotypes." While that sounds relatively impressive, it is totally fabricated. Every song on this album follows the same pop-punk formula that garage and manufactured bands have been using for ages: three chords, trite lyrics about relationships, and some teen angst to top it off. There are some catchy hooks throughout the album, but basically every song sounds the same on The Music or the Misery, which would not be a bad thing if there were some more creative lyrics than: "So why did you lie? You made me cry. You made me wanna lay down and die." It's hard to make it through one song like that, let alone thirteen.
Despite the press release's claim, Last of the Famous is not going to turn the music world on its head. In fact, unless they can release something that can stand out from the hundreds of other bands vying for the listener's attention, they will most likely get lost amidst the chaos of the competition. If you are a fan of pop-punk and don't mind if the album has little substance, then you can give The Music or the Misery a listen, but the juvenile lyricism and bland music will most likely leave much to be desired.
1.5/4
