Album Review: The Other Ones - "The Other Ones"

 

The Other Ones first came to our attention back in February when they cropped up in our Singles Bar with their Forever Young release. Our verdict was that it was alright if you liked the whole US college pop-punk scene of the late '90s but it felt a bit too safe and polished for its own good. Now two months later, we've had their debut album drop here - can it surpass our decidedly modest expectations?

It gets off to a good start with the fast 'n' furious breakup ode Drown You and the spiky grunge-pop of On Top Of Me and Money. On the flip side though, the dull Out Of My Head and the saccharine I Wish I Was Your Boyfriend pass by without really leaving much of an impression and while Forever Young and Better Off Alone at least have an energy behind them, they just kind of lack the spikiness needed to make them really stand out. The paranoid Wasted Youth does at least get things back on track nicely before the stroppy Sad Case, the punky title track (yup, we're in "album, band and song all having the same title" territory here but it's probably the best song on here so we'll let it slide) and the wistful acoustic I Think Too Much guide us home.

Overall, The Other Ones is a bit of an inconsistent debut but at least it has enough good points to suggest that this band have the potential to improve on it and make a more consistently good album. For those who like the idea of a power-pop/grunge crossover band though, this may have enough to interest you.

Bandcamp link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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