My Favorite Words is the debut album from Set it Straight, a straightedge band from Redding, CA. This CD gets you pumped, it inspires you, and the intro to "Conversation" will be stuck in your head for hella days.
The CD is nine songs and clocks in at only 20 minutes. The length is perfect for this kind of band, as it has you savoring every sing-along, guitar riff, and drum roll. The production of My Favorite Words is very clean. It perfectly captures the energy of their live show and packs it into nine songs you can experience over and over again.
Let me tell you, I'm a sucker for posi bands. I'm always in the mood for some positive lyrics, and singing along can brighten up the shittiest day of my life. This is the CD I listen to on the way to a show, and it always gets me pumped. It never gets old, and the energy of this CD never tires itself. Every time I listen, it seems to have more and more energy.
The lyrics are hella posi. Every song showcases bad life experiences, and the end of the song shows solutions to these problems. Lyrics like, "as I take another hit, I sort of wonder why, deeper and deeper, I dug my grave" lead to some very straightedge lyrics, adding to the posi-ness. In the same song, the band makes reference to Minor Threat, with the lyric, "I'll always be out of step, I will always be straightedge." The way Harry Petty sings is easy to understand, and the lyrics are very straightforward and simple. And that's just the way I like my posi, simple and easy to understand, as it accomplishes its goal of making my day (and life, for that matter) better.
As far as the music goes, it matches up with the singer's style very well. The music leans towards punk and pop-punk influences, much like Stay Gold. This is for sure a hardcore band, but at times you can hear the pop-punk influences shining through. The best song on this CD is the title track, "My Favorite Words" because it tells of the singer's drug problem, which is usually a touchy subject for straightedge kids, before he discovered straightedge and the hardcore scene. It tells of how he would always talk of cleaning up, but never did until his friends stepped in. This song is just a great big thank you to all the friends that helped him out. Plus, the intro is awesome, with the singer coming in with the simple but powerful lyrics, "My favorite words."
Overall, My Favorite Words is absolutely one of my favorite CDs ever. I couldn't stop listening from day one, and I can tell this band is going to get really big, really quick. This is a CD that should not, and most likely will not be forgotten about. It's positivity, short and to the point, and easily understandable vocals all add up to a hardcore classic.
