The term "pop-punk" has been tarnished and dragged through the mud quite a bit thanks to the surge of boy bands disguising themselves as pop-punk bands: All Time Low, Forever the Sickest Kids, Mayday Parade, etc. These bands parade around giving a bad name to any band that draws any influence from the New Found Glory/Saves the Day school of thought. In opposition to these atrocities against music are a number of artists (Valencia and Fireworks also come to mind) offering up a genuine take on the pop-punk sound; This Time Next Year is another such group and bring forth their debut full-length.
"Rise & Fall, Curtain Call" launches the album off in perfect fashion: fast and melodic guitar driven pop-punk. Dennis Cohen and Brad Wiseman's playful guitars are teamed up with an energetic rhythm section of bassist Tony Allio and drummer Aaron Maiden. Vocalist Pete Dowdalls belts out his infectious melodies with a slight nasal delivery (think Jordan Pundik) while Wiseman interjects with raspy backing harmonies. The single "New Sensation" follows, continuing the upbeat listening experience and never missing a beat.
Road Maps and Heart Attacks features two re-recordings from their preceding EP; "Alex in Wonderland" is the first to appear and for the most part the song remained untouched. There are some noticeable differences in the vocal arrangements and Wiseman's harmonies are less rough. I kind of miss it, but I think that's just nostalgia setting in for me.
This Time Next Year blast through cut after cut of infectious pop-punk as they make their way through their debut full-length. "No Bed of Broken Glass" boasts a stellar pop-punk breakdown at the tale end of the song, the kind that gets you pogo-ing all over the room. "Rhyme and Reason" is easily my favorite new song on the album. If you own a copy of New Found Glory's Nothing Gold Can Stay then you owe it to yourself to check this album out solely because of this track - it's that good. "Mischief With No Direction" reminds me a lot of Taking Back Sunday's Tell All Your Friends.
The album concludes with the second re-recorded track, "Cheers for a Late Night." The song is a great finishing number with its high-energy opening and the drawn out sing-along that concludes the song. The song is always a hit live, so it makes perfect sense in the closing position.
With Road Maps and Heart Attacks This Time Next Year are officially firing on all cylinders. The band's debut full-length is a fantastic display of sincere, heartfelt pop-punk that will appeal to any fan of the genre. If pop-punk is your thing, I can't think of a legitimate reason for you to not own a copy of this record.
