REVIEW: HOLIDAY PARADE - “FALSE ALARMS”
False Alarms - Holiday Parade
Release Date: April 19th, 2011
Record Label: N/A
If you haven’t noticed, Holiday Parade sort of fell off the face of the Earth for a while there. Or it seemed that way over the past year or so as MySpace Music became irrelevant. Not to take anything away from these guys though, they’re much more than another MySpace Band. In fact, I’d consider them the most underrated thing out there right now. But after nearly two years with just one release and minimal touring, it left me with the assumption that they gave up to the demands of being an unsigned artist. Quite the opposite however. I think this was more of a case of great things taking time.
I won’t lie to you, Holiday Parade’s last album Tickets & Passports never stuck with me. I wouldn’t say I hated it, but for a guy that’s been following this band since Two Cheers For Tuesday, I felt let down. But see, I’m an optimistic person. I’m willing to put an album that wasn’t really my thing to the side and focus on the fact that Holiday Parade is a very talented band, but they’re just trying to find their sound—which I think they finally did with False Alarms.
To put it simply, this album just cuts all the bullshit out. It isn’t meant to be dancy, it isn’t written to cater to tweens. It’s the perfect medium that Holiday Parade needed between pop and rock. It sounds like something that would be performed on American Idol, and with the proper amount of promotion, I feel like this album opens doors for Holiday Parade to eventually reach mainstream radio.
There isn’t a bad song on the album. My personal favorite, “Home”, showcases how much talent front man Andy Albert really has. His vocals, like previous Holiday Parade releases, is the highlight of the album. It’s seriously incredible how he isn’t a major star. The title-track is the most upbeat on the album and will likely be the single. I was actually really stoked to see a redone version of “Gone” considering the demo has just been chilling around forever. The new version sounds like a completely different song—not necessarily being a bad thing, but if you dig the original you may be a tad let down.
Holiday Parade are done with their days of referencing Konstantine. They are no longer Slam Crunking. They are matured and absolutely ready to take that next step. If you love their old stuff, you’ll still love this. If you hate their old stuff, it’s time for you to give them another chance. Legit dude, this album fits. It’s perfect for college students, parents, kids. It is pop rock defined.
Reviewed By: DCox
Verdict: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
Recommended If You Like: Goo Goo Dolls, Hanson, Jack’s Mannequin, The Maine
Tracklisting:
1. False Alarms
2. Off Your Shoulders
3. Virginia
4. Lying
5. Gone
6. Home
7. She Came Around
Holiday Parade Is: Andy Albert, Michael Whitworth, Joel Merritt, Kenny Muto, Rohan Kohli
Buy: Amazon
»Apr. 13 @ 4:21AM | 20 notes
