Hey Monday – Hold On Tight
Currently on tour with All Time Low, Hey Monday is a pop-rock/alternative band from West Palm Beach, Florida. A female fronted group destined for stardom, their debut album Hold On Tight was released last month under the Decaydance label. Being fans of other phenomenal groups in the Decaydance family such as newly signed and freshly reviewed A Rocket To The Moon, I was excited for yet another great band. While not a fan of Pete Wentz, his vanity label has consistently been the bearer of some very promising young bands, Hey Monday definitely being one of them.
When talking about female fronted pop rock bands it seems Paramore has become the uncontested standard. While there are very slight similarities between the two, Hey Monday is something entirely different and quite good might I add. With a sound similar to All Time Low or We The Kings, they have accomplished something that has often been attempted but rarely successfully.
First and foremost it is the vocals of Cassadee Pope that intrigued my ears, and it’s definitely the reason this band will see even more success in their young careers. While Cassadee does not have a very powerful or prominent voice, such is the reason vocalists like Hayley Williams and Juliet Simms have seen so much success, listeners cannot deny her voice is every bit as affectionate and pleasing to the ears. Combined with the pop style of their music, it is a match made in heaven. Her overwhelmingly sweet voice is the perfect instrument to deliver the catchy hooks and lyrics that bring out the pop side of this band. Of course her vocals cannot do it alone and the remaining members fill in every gap to produce an addictive brand of powerpop.
The melodies in all the songs are always full of action and very lively. The guitars and drums are in constant flow and harmony, creating a vibrant track every time. Obviously there is nothing complex about what they do being that they are a simple pop rock band, but they do it well and only further increase the epic feelings expressed in their music.
Their first single Homecoming is probably their most famous track, and is very aggressive compared to their other stuff. The lyrics aren’t nearly as upbeat or pop-relevent to the album, but the strong delivery and approach to the song has made it extremely catchy and very memorable. Leaning more towards the rock side of the band it is probably the best song to be released as a single, but I find it doesn’t represent Hey Monday as they should be represented.
A song such as Obvious is a little more towards the pop side, which is theme more reoccurring in this album. The vocals are incredibly catchy and Cassadee delivers a medley of creative pop hooks. Probably one of my favourite tracks, the music comes natural to them, and this is a song I think represents them to a far greater degree. Other tracks that fit this description are How You Love Me Now, Run Don’t Walk and Josey. Let it be clear that while these songs have a greater aspect of pop in their game, nothing is truly upbeat. Hey Monday does a great job of eliciting some sort of feeling on the most basic of levels, and I think this is what pop was meant to do, and what Hey Monday has very closely mastered. Their hopeful and warm music is catchy, energetic and simply good.
Check out their Myspace for official tour dates and album info.
Tags: album
j’aime pas sa.