My Favourite Runner Up

Thoughts, Feelings, Actions EP

Written by: PP on 22/10/2012 23:21:34

Well, it's been a long while since I've heard a band as unoriginal as My Favourite Runner Up and still liked them. This UK pop punk quartet are basically a carbon copy, a note-by-note rendition of Fall Out Boy circa "From Under The Cork Tree"-era, with especially vocalist Christian Evans sounding precisely like Patrick Stump did before he reached into his high-pitched vocals post that album. Still, I have to admit I haven't heard clean-cut pop punk played as convincingly like it's still mid 2000s as on "Thoughts, Feelings, Actions" EP, and so although the record sounds dated in places (let's face it, pop punk's 15 minutes of mainstream fame died with "Folie A Deux"), any fan of the older Fall Out Boy pop punk style from that era should feel right at their nostalgic home with this record.

For those too young to remember Stump & Wentz's rise to popularity, My Favourite Runner Up are made up of identical ingredients as their obvious idols, that is, huge vocal hooks, infectious choruses, and a classic pop punk vibe without all the polished production and other modern major label bullshit that erased most of my interest in the non-raw (NFG) version of the genre. Perhaps that is exactly why My Favourite Runner Up can be forgiven for their shameless copying and arguably awful lyrics, because the rest of their expression - the melodies - are excellent and so easily likable. Depth and artistic integrity has been shoved aside of course in favour of anthemic chorus melodies and simple power chord based guitars, but then again, that's always been the case with pop punk and those of us that like it, won't find a problem here either.

Basically, if you like super catchy, poppy pop punk in the vein of FOB, Hit The Lights, Cartel's first record, fellow Brits in Attack! Attack! etc, My Favourite Runner Up should be on your radar based on this EP.

7

Download: Let It Ride, Drawing Board
For the fans of: Fall Out Boy, Attack! Attack!, Cartel, Punchline, We Still Dream, Hit The Lights
Listen: Facebook

Release date 06.08.2012
Self-Released

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