Review: Take Me Home

By this point we all know One Direction. Whether you like it or not, you’ve heard at least one of their songs and you’ve found yourself with it stuck in your head. Now, hear me out when I say that that isn’t a bad thing. The 1D boys may produce candy coated pop tracks on a (double) platinum platter, but they do it with a lot of talent. Don’t write them off just because they’re perfectly coiffed, don’t pen their own stuff and spend their time on the Top 40s charts. 

While ‘Up All Night’ was a piece of solid pop dynamite, it left fans wondering about this band’s shelf life. (After all, the boy band life expectancy isn’t exactly the longest in the music industry.) Could they create another album with the right amount of head bobbing pop beats that didn’t sound like UAN 2.0? Or would they find themselves the victims of the sophomore slump?

Well, 1D fans, it is safe to say that the boys managed to pull off a piece of perfectly polished pop perfection. (I do so love alliteration, don’t you?) Boasting the likes of tracks like “I Would,” “Heart Attack,” and “Kiss You,” the boys show just how much they’ve learned from their boy band contemporaries. (Is it just me, or does it feel a helluva lot like the ’90s again?) ‘Take Me Home’ does what any good pop album sets out to do, and that’s make listeners want to dance. But it’s more than that.

With two songs from Ed Sheeran, the album manages to also create downtime for fans to catch a breather from the faster, punchy songs that surround them. They will also end up as fan favorites given it seems the popular consensus that Sheeran is a lyrical genius. 

It’s every bit of catchy as one would expect from 1D, and shows just how much the band has grown. Pulling from the likes of Queen for songs like “Rock Me” and Michael Jackson for “Heart Attack,” they manage to show, for lack of a better word, haters that they are more than just kids who listened to heavily synthesized pop music of the early ’00s. (A common misconception given the artists the boys actually listen to.) 

It does need to be said, however, that the ending track— at least the normal, not deluxe or yearbook edition ending track— isn’t one of the best album closers out there, leaving listeners, at least this listener, like they’re missing something. It’s a nice track, sure, but definitely one that could have been left on the cutting room floor, or at least made into a bonus track.

Maybe it isn’t mature in the fact that they didn’t decide to suddenly change genres, but the album does show that they’ve grown up quite a bit from the doe eyed, long haired teens of “The X Factor.” Fans of the band are undoubtedly going to love it, especially since they could probably release covers of The Wiggles and some listeners would still eat it up. (Okay, maybe not that far.) But what’s best is TMH will— or at least should— gain them respect from those who signed them off as a band with their fame handed to by Simon Cowell. 

‘Take Me Home?’ It’s an accurate title given that’s exactly what you’re going to want to do with this album.

4/5

Standout Tracks: “I Would,” “Kiss You,” “Heart Attack,” and “Over Again.”

‘Take Me Home’ drops November 13 via Syco and Columbia. 

Why You Should Just Give In to Boy Band Era 3.0

If you're my age-- 20 for all those wondering-- chances are you remember *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys (I mean, my age group kind of grew up with them). And if you were anything like me, they were one of your very first band obsessions (if not the first). Some of you may even have the honor of calling one of them your first concert (I got to see *NSYNC for my 10th birthday). So obviously, if you were like me, when Boy Band Era 2.0 came to an end you were distraught. Sure a few popped up here and there, but none with the same gumption that captured our hearts like *NSYNC and BSB. That all changed when Big Time Rush hit the scene. You may argue with me on that, but I promise you, the Return of the Boy Band started with them. Unfortunately, I think they got the proverbial short stick as upon opening the gateway to this new era of boy band, they unleashed the likes of One Direction and The Wanted. That, however, is another blog all together. You see, if you're like me, you're relishing this resurgence of boy bands. You also have friends or know people who are NOT as enthusiastic as you are about this return. But why does it have to be that way? How can people blatantly hate such fun, happy music? Maybe it's because it's the cool thing to hate things that are popular, or maybe they just dislike adorable boys that sing adorable things. But I'd be willing to put my money on the fact that they are just worried about being judged for openly appreciating these groups and therefore make up for their secret shrines by drinking some haterade. (Am I allowed to say that still? Is my age showing?) That being said, here is a list of reasons why you SHOULDN'T feel guilty about nodding along to the catchy songs of Boy Band Era 3.0, because let's face it, you're probably gonna be hearing these songs for awhile.

1. These Aren't The Goody Two Shoe Boy Bands That You Grew Up With
Sure, maybe they look like it, and maybe their songs might show a bit of lighthearted nature (EX- "Every time you come around you put a lightning bolt on my face"), and their fangirls certainly do not help but do NOT get it twisted. These are boys ranging from 18-23 and two of the three aforementioned bands are from the UK where they aren't as uptight as those of us in the US. Maybe it's because I was like 7 when *NSYNC happened, but I don't think they ever did interviews like this. Nor do I remember them making music videos like this. (Dost mine eyes spy stomach licking?) So really, the argument that they are "too young" is a load of crock.

2. Like Any Boy Band, They Have The Looks


(Also, chances are if you're a red blooded female, you've already seen the new Ponystep photos, but just in case you missed them

(Also, I spy with my little eye a wet boy band)
Okay, maybe this was just so I could go through pages and pages of Google image results. I'm back on task now.

3. They Really Can Sing
Not that I am claiming my boys in *NSYNC and BSB can't. That would be the most blatant of all lies. However, let's take a second to listen to some of the trademark harmonies that come with boy bandom.



So, really, the "They can't sing and people only like them for their looks" argument is pretty invalid too.

4. They Have Impeccable Taste In Music
What does this have to do with anything you ask? Well, if they like good music, they are influenced by good music. You want a list of the artists that they appreciate?
One Direction: Two Door Cinema Club, The Fray, Queen, The Beatles, John Mayer and The Script.
Big Time Rush: Taking Back Sunday, Incubus, Donna Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Radiohead and even some broadway (Shout out to Carlos for his love of Rent!)
The Wanted: Oasis, Switchfoot, Queen, Coldplay and Boyz II Men.
So now I've just made your "They aren't 'real music' and don't know what 'real music' is" argument invalid. (And quite frankly this argument just makes me angry so before I go off on a tangent, I'm gonna move on.)

5. How Can You Hate Fun Music?
We all need a little happy from time to time, don't we? I'd be lying if I said that my iPod wasn't full of deep, meaningful songs that tug at the heartstrings or that make you think. But sometimes you just don't want to think. You just want to listen to something that blatantly lays it out there for you and has a catchy beat. And since when has that ever been a bad thing? Seriously. If you don't find yourself bobbing your head at least once to any of the following songs, you probably just don't have much of a sense of fun.



Yeah. Happy music. If you have an argument against happy music, you obviously just need more of it in your life.

6. They Can Also Tug Heartstrings
On the flipside of that, everyone loves a good ballad. Everyone. Especially one that makes you feel like YOU are the person your boy band of choice is singing to.



So there goes your "They only make stupid pop music" argument.

I could probably keep going, but let's be real, at this point I'm beating a dead horse. An extra dead horse. The main point of this is to point out that the majority of people who act like they dislike boy bands so much do so because they don't realize that there is no reason to hide a true like for them. of course, if you genuinely STILL don't like them, then you legit don't like them. And cool for you because that means you probably aren't 1) A female, 2) Between the ages of 12 and 25 or 3) A "hipster" that dislikes anything that is part of the "mainstream."

The After Party

http://www.facebook.com/theafterpartymusic\

You know when a blockbuster comes out? And everyone hypes it up SOOOOO much and your expectations are so high that by the time you finally do get around to seeing the movie, it just can't live up to the hype? (Here's lookin at you Shutter Island.) Well, that was my biggest fear with The After Party. You see, my dear friend Siri actually knows these guys, so of course she told me about how awesome they were. So yeah, they had a lot to live up to.

And you wanna know what?

They definitely met my expectations, if not exceeded them. I got the chance to see them on the "All The Way" Tour with Allstar Weekend, Hollywood Ending and Before You Exit when they were in San Antonio. (You know, because for some reason bands have an aversion to Austin in the Spring. We're cool too, ok!) And boy did they put on a show. They were up beat, and dancing, and just having a damn good time even though the venue was seriously lacking in AC.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I can appreciate a song with a good catchy beat that is like caffeine for the soul, and this band has managed to capture that in all their songs.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! You think they're just a fun pop group that can only make songs that make you wanna dance, be it at a show or around in your room with a hairbrush microphone (I'm still allowed to do that even though I'm turning 21 this year, right?), but you're wrong! They even have the sentimental ballad, "California," that is just so sweet. When they played it at the show-- with doctored lyrics to say San Antonio instead-- My heart may have melted just a little bit. It probably would have melted more if I was actually from San Antonio, but whatever. I can still appreciate lol.

BUT WAIT! IT GETS EVEN BETTER! They are really nice guys. And you guys know by now that I hold bands with nice guys up pretty high. We talked with them for a bit after the show and they just seemed like genuinely nice guys. (Ok, well I didn't get to talk to Kenny, the lead singer, but he seems like a cool dude too lol)

Anyway, now that I've digressed multiple times, you guys should know that I've fallen pretty hardcore for these boys, and their CD that Siri made me isn't going to be leaving my car CD player anytime soon.

Go Download: Their self-titled EP from iTunes!!! (And also, have I mentioned that they covered *NSYNC and actually did them justice? I didn't? Well. They did.)

Can I also just say that I can back any boys that rock the fake moustache XD