"Feel Good Tunes," Captain Bringdown and the Buzzkillers (Sock Hop Records)
Captain Bringdown and the Buzzkillers have a name that certainly fits the type of music they play - depressing.
The band deserves a "C" for effort and energy, but in the categories of vocals, lyrics, music and replay, they might want to try another genre.
The six-man punk band doesn't turn heads with the release of their second album "Feel Good Tunes."
The album's vocals are too much like blink-182 or music that would fit perfectly in the background of a movie like "American Pie."
Track two, "Blistered Up," has horrible vocals, and the lyrics are even worse. The chorus of the song is "I'm blistered up/From my head down to my toes/I'm blistered up/Pickin' at it so is shows/I'm blistered up/No one asks so I don't tell/I'm blistered up/You're not so, I will." The lead vocalist sings about a breakup with his girlfriend - and the bruised eye and fat lip he received from the ordeal.
What hurts this song, and the entire album, is despite the fact that every band member has vocals, not one of them can hold a note.
The group does a good job of incorporating horns into the song, but it doesn't hide the terrible lyrics. It's definitely not standout and sounds like a bad song for a Skechers shoes commercial.
The band definitely did the fans a favor by only releasing six tracks on the CD. Each track follows a standard formula - bang really hard on the drums, play some horns and everyone yell together at the top of their lungs.
"P.T.S.D." presents a slight peak of talent with a guitar solo in the first couple of seconds that's pretty good but then is immediately drowned out by the shouting of the group members. The song is fast paced and maintains a high energy - a strong point. Still, it's difficult to hear what they're saying because there are three voices shouting repetitively.
Overall, the tracks sound like the band is fresh out of the garage instead of the studio. "Feel Good Tunes" - despite never making the listener "feel good" - receives an "F" for not following one of the golden rules of music - making sure the audience can understand what the band is saying.
