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Me Vs Hero

I'm Completely Fine

Written by: LF on 16/12/2014 19:47:50

Considering that the pop punkers of Me Vs Hero are British, it's quite striking exactly how well they fit into a typical sunny and American take on the genre. With this record being their second full-length, it's a good thing that it sounds like they have grown a bit since we heard from them last. They still play up-beat pop punk with the occasional easycore breakdown accompanied by heartfelt lyrics but it all feels more tightly knit than ever before.

Essentially the album vibrates with the same kind of defiant irony that its cover projects, not least in the anthemic title track that opens the album with insisting lyrics like "My back is growing weaker / My youth seems out of reach". Nonetheless the entire album feels uplifting as it rolls ever forward with some very well-written, bouncy compositions featuring fast drums, melodic riffs and yelped, nasal vocals, all bound together by an infectious, youthful passion. Well-placed harmonies spice up pretty much every chorus while proper gang vocals are only slightly rarer, and occasionally we get some screams or breakdowns as in the end of "Virtues", and this gives the overall sunny sound a certain edge that suits it very well.

Any of the album's catchy songs could be pulled forward as examples of the effective way this band puts their music together, but some definitely stick better than others. The simple chorus of the melancholic "Rush For Gold" that deals with growing up and forgetting your old dreams is one such moment of the record that is hard to shake as soon as you've heard it. Other highlights include the battle-ready "Opposites" which cements that "You get back whatever you put in" and not least "Marks of a Slave" whose intro of "We're all born defined by our cultures / Set loose to be caught / And stripped of our thoughts / Another possession of monsters / Worked to the core / To feel safe and secure in our walls" should have you raising your fist and jumping everywhere pretty much instantly, especially as it follows the short "Home Alone" that gets you pumped with some of the best gang vocals of the album. In the mix we also have the encouraging, acoustic piece "Hang In" that leaves a little breathing room towards the end of the album before we're picked up by the last two energetic outbursts of which "Things We Know" is the most memorable one.

It's hard to fault the way Me Vs Hero compose and play their songs, with infectious energy flying in every direction and the passion in each lyric coming clearly across in the recording. Still, some parts sound slightly forced and while they execute all the clichés incredibly well, they are still clichés. In conclusion, it's not exactly an inventive record but it should still make for a couple of enjoyable listens for any fan of the genre.

Download: Opposites, Rush For Gold, Marks of a Slave, Heisenberg
For The Fans Of: Four Year Strong, New Found Glory, Set Your Goals, With The Punches, The Story So Far
Listen: facebook.com/mevshero

Release date 01.09.2014
Self-released