Bad Habits

So this summer at Warped Tour, I was lucky enough to not only catch Every Avenue's set, but also get my ticket signed by them.  I got to their tent just in time...to realize I had forgotten both my EA albums. Also, I wasn't allowed to take a picture with them. Is that a joke? Sigh. It would have made a great profile picture...


So, even though I got no picture and no albums signed, I still think Every Avenue is awesome and obviously bought Bad Habits. And after I could bear to remove A Day to Remember from my CD player, it was the first thing I listened to. I was really surprised, in a good way. The first song, "Tie Me Down" assuaged all my fears that Every Avenue may have changed. I didn't want them to go with that trend of auto-tune and sounding ever more poppy...not going to mention any names...

But the album is really, really good. "Tie Me Down" is the lead in to what is definitely tied for my favorite song on the album: "Whatever Happened to You."  With this song, listeners are introduced to a different aspect of Dave Strauchman's voice; he is nearly screaming during these verses, and I love it; it has so much feeling. Then "There Tonight" comes in, and its a change from the past two songs, which is great--keeps life interesting. "Fall Apart" is also a favorite of mine from this album and is so catchy, I couldn't get it out of my head even before I really knew the words. How annoying!

"No One But You" is a good song, although it was a little anticlimactic; the verses were a lot better than the chorus. However, it doesn't matter because "Only Place I Call Home" comes next. Basically, it has the impact of getting punched in the face, but feels as good as the first day of spring. The chorus is a great complementing contrast to the verses, and Dave's falsetto is better than expected. He really pushes his voice and shows his talent through the whole chorus. "Someday Somehow" is also a really good song, and I like the lyrics and the meaning behind them (however, the lyrics are about staying home and not touring, which scares me a little).  "Hit Me Where It Hurts" is catchy, as is "Watch the World." The real gem towards the end of the album, though, is "I Can't Not Love You." This song is actually soulful. I love the piano, and the vocals, and the songwriting...its such a positive step from their last slow-down, "Between You and I," and that song was really pretty good to begin with.

In conclusion, this album definitely borders more on rock, and slightly punk, than pop. I think its great, and a surprising album after the release of Picture Perfect. My favorite Every Avenue song up to this point has always been "Empty Room," but I might have to revise that decision after listening to this album a few more times. Shout out to Dave's mega-talented voice, and the rest of the guys for the awesome contributions in guitars, percussion, and songwriting. (Also, shout out to Joshua Withenshaw, who was especially nice when I met the band this summer--fans always remember that.)

Overall, great job on Bad Habits. I'm recommending this album to anyone who likes music, or just general happiness.