The Friday Night Boys – Off The Deep End

The Friday Night Boys will release their first full-length album, Off The Deep End on June 9^th.  The follow up to their self-released EP The Sketch Process and Fueled By Ramen released EP That’s What She Said. 

Off the Deep End delivers the signature sound of The Friday Night boys with catchy choruses and the distinguishing juxtaposition of low to high ranged vocals.  Singer Andrew Goldstein’s combinations of deep, wispy vocals and a delicate falsetto are instantly recognizable on the opening track “Permanent Heartbreak.”  Former fans of The Friday Night Boys won’t be disappointed in this solid debut LP effort.  Twelve songs of pure fun and innocence will keep you dancing around the room and belting out the memorable, and radio-worthy, choruses. 

“Finding me Out” is sure to be the stalker anthem of the year (no, but seriously…) with lyrics of, “Park my house right across from her house last night/I climbed the tree just to see if she turned on the lights/Slipped and fell to the ground, I’m not sure but I think she saw me driving away/I think she knows what I’m trying to say but I don’t know how she’s finding me out.” It’s definitely not the best song on the album, but as creepy as the lyrics may be, it is impossible to deny that this song is still catchy, as is every song on the album.   Lyrics aside, the acoustic guitar, softer-hitting percussive style, and slower tempo is a nice change of pace on the album.

While the album won’t change your life, it is definitely an upbeat and sugary-sweet album that will be the perfect choice of music for tweens to blast as they prance around their room getting ready for Warped Tour.  Songs like, “Stuttering,” “Suicide Sunday” and “Molly Makeout,” are sure to become fan favorites in the live show – all boasting choruses that are sure to be stuck in your head not just for an hour or two, but likely for a couple weeks at a time.  They are severely addicting, in the best possible way.  It’s in-your-face pop music that has arrived just in time to be the soundtrack to your summer. 

“Unforget You” and “Can’t Take That Away” shows promise that The Friday Night Boys aren’t just cheesy lyrics and catchy power cords.  Although still simplistic in its sound, “Unforget You” carries a sophistication that separates it from the rest of the album.  While the lyrics are still basic: “You’re feeling desperate/you want me to take you back now/don’t think I’ll fall for it/you only want what you can’t have,” they carry a greater feeling of genuineness and proves that The Friday Night Boys are capable of creating a sound that truly separates them from other power pop bands. 

“Can’t Take That Away” is definitely my favorite song on the album, reverting back to the softer sound of acoustic guitars and adding a backing of orchestral strings – this song shows a much more subtle sound that hasn’t been heard before from The Friday Night Boys, but is greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, it isn’t all revelation and reinvented softer sides as “Can’t Take That Away” is followed up by songs such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “I Stole Your Gurl,” which both seem a bit out of place on this album as they are extremely synth heavy, with quickly bubbling techno beats, which left one missing the more organic feel of guitars and drums found in “Hollow” and the slower ballad, “The First Time (Natalie’s Song).”  The unexpected, drastic leap in sounds make the album less cohesive than the previous EP releases.

The album has its ups and downs, but overall is a solid release, with flawless production.  The album was produced by Emanuel Kiriakou. In a time where almost every power pop album is buried among overproduction that makes the song unrecognizable when “performed” live – this album pulls that all way back and lets the music speak for itself.  One cannot say enough good things about how clean and balanced the production on this album is.  With the exceptions of the two synth heavy songs (that would be better off left in an all-ages techno club), the rest of the album is sweet and genuine pop music that is sure to push The Friday Night Boys further down the direction of successful, mainstream radio play.