"Open Up and Say Awesome" is Ultimate Fakebook's debut release for Initial Records. The band has two previous full-lengths on Noisome Records (1997's "Kissing Party", 1999's "This Will Be Laughing Week"), the second of which was re-released in 2000 by Sony/550 Music. This three piece band from Manhattan...Kansas has toured the country many times since getting their start in 1997 with bands such as the Get Up Kids, MxPx and Dashboard Confessional. "Open Up and Say Awesome" was produced by Ed Rose at Redhouse Studios in Eudora, Kansas.
On "Open Up and Say Awesome" Ultimate Fakebook offers up the same power-pop geek rock anthems that fans have seemed to become used to on their two previous full-lengths. Besides better production and stronger songwriting there isn't a whole lot different going on here from the bands past releases. But with Ultimate Fakebook that's not a bad thing. With so many bands totally changing their musical direction so much lately it's kind of refreshing to see a pop rock band like Ultimate Fakebook continue in a similar direction. What they play is loud pop rock with catchy hooks, and melodic vocals, which is exactly what I would have expected from this band. At times the vocals may get to be a bit too much...especially with all the falsetto they dish out. But overall it's a very solid release.
Ultimate Fakebook finds a common ground somewhere between Elvis Costello, Weezer and the Replacements and offer up a great pop rock album for the summer. Throw it in, turn it up and sing along. Or better yet throw this album in, listen to it three times in a row and see if you can hold yourself back from singing along.
B-
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