Five O’Clock Heroes. Interesting name, hard band to place. I’ve never heard of them before, and being that Different Times is their third album, it seems that word hasn’t spread too far for the New York band. You know, the place where I pretty much live and search out every band from…
I’ve listened to the album about three times now, and I must say that it’s considerably grown on me. I didn’t really like it the first time through, but now I know what to expect and appreciate it a tad more. The group does mix of new wave and 80’s rock, with some modern influences filling the gaps in between. Unfortunately, nobody likes the 80’s. Except my dad.
Most songs on the record are drawn out and repetitive, and it’s not so much the band’s songwriting at fault as it is the genre they decided to work in. With a little guitar thrown in, these songs would have a new life to occupy. Sadly though, a song like “The Cut” should have been, as it’s synths drag it into a hole it can’t recover from. “Boys Not Girls” is by far my favorite and it seems to be the one outlier, drawing a UB40 reggae homage to it’s full potential and staying around the three minute mark. That’s the main problem overall, as every song is like totally forever long, making me long for a more succinct artist like Rebecca Black. She knows how to keep it simple and keep it sweet, and that’s what the masses love. At least, I think it is. (sarcasm much? sorry.)
Seriously though, first single “Rough Boys” would be ten times better if a minute was cut from it, and the same goes for opener “Diplomat.” That ‘Puerto Rican’ line could definitely go as well; it makes me feel weird (read: racist) and I don’t know why. Maybe that’s just me being too critical. Or honest. Either? “I Need You Around” is definitely a highlight, so why did they bury it at the end of the album? The same goes for “Postcard.” All in all, Different Times isn’t terrible and Five O’Clock Heroes know how to right a chorus, but not a short song. If this was their first album I would say they have some growing to do. It’s their third. One would think they should have this down by now, no? *Seacrest out!*
For more information on Five O’Clock Hereos check out the band’s official website, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Get Different Times now on iTunes!