R5 - Sometime Last Night

R5
Sometime Last Night
2015

R5 have released their long awaited sophomore album Sometime Last Night. The pop rock quartet have been more known for their hooks and accessible sound more than anything and Sometime Last Night doesn't do much to break that mold. The tunes are catchy as all hell. If you are not a fan of super poppy hooks or something getting lodged permanently deep in your brain this is not the album for you. It is super light and super bright pop music, there is little to no edge on this record. "Repeating Days" is the track with the most depth, but even then it is buried under hooks and synth piano. It has been a long time since We've seen a band this tailor made for teen room posters that wasn't a straight boy band, but here they are. The harmonies come across as quite forgettable despite the fact that they are often pleasant. "Smile" the first single from the record is so sugary and filled with cliche that it borders on the cringe-worthy.

The landing place for this group seems a bit obscure. They are trying to go full pop while still keeping a toe in the rock world. This record features an acoustic track that is so out of place it is jarring to hear at first and "Lightning Strikes" possibly the "hardest" rock song on the record works as little more than a fist pumping anthem for live shows. Sometime Last Night feels like it was poked and prodded, tested and re-tested until it fit the perfect pop rock quotient. There is nothing organic or raw about this album, it was produced within an inch of it's life just to ensure some kind of bottom line. I am sure this record fits someone's bill of a great album, but I highly doubt that person can drive yet.

4.7 out of 10