Is a big shame that Every Avenue’s third album ‘Bad Habits’ wasn’t released a few months earlier, as it would have made a perfect summer soundtrack this year. This ten track record, which as suggested by the title takes alternative rockers on sex, drug and rock’n’roll stimulated journey with their darkly lyrical verses and bouncy guitar melodies.
The ten tracks all display a noteworthy improvement from the Michigan boys previous two albums, as during this album we are introduced head on to some aggressive guitar work and sophisticated song writing skills, as well as their underlying talent for catchy pop hooks.
Though the introduction to the album is a little superfluous, this is quickly overlooked as the opening hooks of ‘Tie Me Down’ kick in. ‘Tie Me Down’ kicks off with elevated guitars, courtesy of Josh and Jimmie, energetically building into an infectious chorus as vocalist Dave uses wild words to recall a failed relationship. This thunderous content complete with rough riffs and catchy chorus’ serves as the general theme throughout ‘Bad Habits’, as foot-stamping ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts The Most’ plays on the same paced rhythm as drummer and bassist of the band set off to leave fans stunned at this theatrical harmony of rock culture. But the fun doesn’t stop there. The band have even managed to cleverly encorporate something for the mass market of radio-ready listeners with track ‘Fall Apart’ with some free-fun but ever so bitter sounding harmonies.
The album itself definitely ups the explosive factor with riffs more excited and vigorous than ever, not to be shown up by the pounding drum beat that is heard throughout the tracks. Vocalist David Strauchman abandons his previously sensitive, sentimental character that fans heard on albums ‘Shhh’ and ‘Picture Perfect’ in favour of a more bitter, ruthless version of vocals capturing a brand new, bigger and better reincarnation of the band. Whereas previous album titles gave connotations of a more youthful optimism, the title of their latest release implies something much more serious, which is exactly the type of thing fans receive from the first drum strikes of ‘Tie Me Down’.
Instrumentally, Every Avenue sound much as they ever have. The only real difference ‘Every Avenue’ seem to portray to their fans is their guitars are a little more distorted and the production on the drums seems much more prominent, though the handclaps and catchy chorus are indicators of a band that are still inevitably tied down to their pop-rock roots. The bands lyrical talents are definitely a lot darker and notably angrier than in previous albums, though all of them seem to feel refreshing an light hearted.
The bands most notorious single of the album is definitely ‘Tie Me Down’ which is a complete breath of fresh air cleverly starting the album and the second track ‘Whatever happened To You’ controversially creates an entire atmosphere of aggression and Strauchman’s emotional voice reaching a near-scream. This album is indeed the heaviest the band has ever gotten since their pre-Fearless days and I personally think that its a step in the right direction in comparison to their more whiney, stereotypical post-Blink band. The band continues to show dramatic and technical growth throughout their new album, with the fantasic drumming anchoring the bitter single ‘Fall Apart’ with guitar skills that are rock-esque in ‘No One But You’.
‘Bad Habits’ paints a picture of the band on the brink of real maturity. The raw emotion is evident many of the bands singles, and it is clear that the group is no longer afraid to embrace the heavier side of their personalities. A perfect fit for fans of both the band and truly emotional art, ‘Bad Habits’ is a production showing some of this years most heartfelt tracks that is sure to be a good foundation for ‘Every Avenue’s already profound careers.
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The ten tracks all display a noteworthy improvement from the Michigan boys previous two albums, as during this album we are introduced head on to some aggressive guitar work and sophisticated song writing skills, as well as their underlying talent for catchy pop hooks.
