Picture yourself on a Friday night. Classes are over for the week and you have nothing to worry about until Monday morning. As you start to get dressed, you look for music to put yourself in that good mood we all want to be in as we hit the bars and house parties. The Click Five's debut album, Greetings from Imrie House, can now fill that void. This upbeat pop album is catchy and will make listeners want to start dancing in their seats. As I listened I could not sit still and, even though I was sitting, I found my feet tapping and moving along to the beat.
The Click Five is a new band that has recently found itself plastered all over MTV. The group's first single, "Just the Girl" is aired quite often and has been on heavy rotation on radio stations. This group is comprised of five guys, Joe Guese, Eric Dill, Joey Zehr, Ben Romans and Ethan Mentzer, from around the United States who have come together to provide the youth in America with yet another pop band to listen to. They have been touring the country with such high-caliber musical artists as Ashlee Simpson and the Backstreet Boys.
Next they will head out with Ryan Cabrera. Although the boys list some of their idols as Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, Brian Wilson and The Beatles, it's hard to find any links whatsoever between the sounds of The Click Five and their supposed inspirations.
The first song, "Good Day," starts off the CD quite nicely with an upbeat tempo and tune that will make listeners smile. The melody is able to put almost anyone into a good mood without even listening to the lyrics. For people who still enjoy having dance parties with friends, this is a perfect song to put on the speakers and jump around to.
The next song on the CD, "Just the Girl," is the band's aforementioned hit single. Musically, it is not much different from "Good Day," but the lyrics are about being in love with someone who is no good for you. Some other good songs on this album are "I'll Take My Chances," "Friday Night" and "Angel to You (Devil to Me)."
"I'll Take My Chances" is the lone ballad on the entire album. It brings back memories of high school days, dancing with various dates at homecoming dances. There is a nice break of vocals in the middle with a decent guitar solo. Guese, the lead guitarist, does an impressive job. The next song, "Friday Night," has definite potential for being a rallying call for college students preparing for a night at the bars. While its lyrics come off as a bit superficial, it's something you'd almost expect on the next Andrew W.K. album. It is all about how one should not stay in alone on the weekend, but go out and have a good time. While the lyrics refer more to high school than college students — "Curfew is going to break my heart"– everyone can relate to the line that states "Open up your sleepy eyes / Come alive, come alive on Friday night."
One last decent song on the CD is "Angel to You (Devil to Me)." This song is about a girl coming off to everyone one way, while at the same time driving her boyfriend crazy. It has an '80s vibe to it and makes another excellent dance song.
As great as the first half of this CD is, it tends to drag a bit in the second half. By the seventh song, the vibe of the CD changed drastically as if the band were suddenly trying to be more punk. The melodies and guitar chords are much more harsh and hard to listen to. While it's commendable for the band to try stretching its repertoire, The Click Five did little more than prove they should stick to the bubblegum pop they have become famous for.
The Click Five has decent beats and fun tunes, although the lyrics are nothing special. For anyone looking to listen to a handful of fun dance songs, this CD is enjoyable. By the seventh song listeners can turn it off — they won't be missing much.
Grade: B
