Waking Ashland: Composure [2005] — Album Review

Jonathan Jones: Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Ryan Lallier: Guitar, Backing Vocals

Andrew Grosse: Bass, Backing Vocals
Thomas Lee: Drums, Organ
Produced by Lou Giordano

Tracklist:

1. Shades of Grey – 3:10

2. I Am for You – 3:34

3. Rumors – 4:09

4. Edinger – 3:36

5. October Skies – 4:19

6. Let Go – 3:50

7. Hands on Deck – 5:05

8. Long Shot – 4:02

9. Silhouettes – 4:14

10. Same Problem – 3:30

11. Medication – 3:43

12. Overjoyed – 3:31

13. Sing Me to Sleep – 4:55

Total Runtime: 51:38

Composure is the debut album from Waking Ashland. And boy, is this a good debut. Washing Ashland really had a handle on what they wanted to do here, because it came out really well.

Student Rick: Soundtrack for a Generation [2001] — Album Review

Adam Reiter: Vocals, Guitar

Brett Jones: Vocals, Guitar

Jason Pavilanis: Bass

Zach Davis: Drums
Produced by Bill Stevenson

Tracklist:

1. Monday Morning – 2:43

2. Hideaway – 3:44

3. Falling for You – 2:51

4. Please Forgive Me – 3:54

5. I Wish... – 4:05

6. A Child's Cry – 4:30

7. Meet You Halfway There – 1:59

8. Yesterday – 3:34

9. South of Blackford – 5:09

10. Through the Window – 3:32

11. In the Cold – 3:09

12. Midway – 4:07

13. October Skies – 10:58

October Skies – 4:23
[silence] – 3:44
Jewel – 2:51

Total Runtime: 54:13

Student Rick never got the chance to be the band they had the potential to be. Victory Records barely advertised Soundtrack, and the band broke up after only one album. Adam Reiter has had a few bands since, none of which have gotten very far, unfortunately, but Say Say seems pretty promising. As for what happened to Brett, Jason, and Zach, they've faded out. Brett still lives in Student Rick's hometown of South Bend, Indiana, and as for the other two, they might as well not exist. Finding info about this band without having a primary source (my best friend is friends with Reiter on Facebook) is nearly impossible.
Student Rick was signed to Victory at a time when Victory didn't have many "softer" rock bands like Student Rick's perfect emo/pop-punk blend. Taking Back Sunday wouldn't come around for another year and Thursday was in the process of getting Full Collapse out the door. Speaking of Thursday, just about the biggest promotion for Soundtrack for a Generation was a 4-track CD split with Thursday, including "Falling for You" and "October Skies" by SR and "Cross Out the Eyes" and "Standing on the Edge of Summer" by Thursday. Which is hard to come by, I might add.

Thursday: War All the Time [2003] — Album Review

Geoff Rickly: Lead Vocals

Tom Keeley: Guitar, Vocals

Steve Pedulla: Guitar, Vocals

Tim Payne: Bass

Tucker Rule: Drums

Andrew Everding: Keyboards
Produced by Sal Villanueva

Tracklist:

1. For the Workforce, Drowning – 3:16

2. Between Rupture and Rapture – 3:03

3. Division St. – 4:14

4. Signals Over the Air – 4:10

5. Marches and Maneuvers – 4:27

6. Asleep in the Chapel – 3:46

7. This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb – 2:16

8. Steps Ascending – 4:26

9. War All the Time – 4:33

10. M. Shepard – 3:36

11. Tomorrow I'll Be You – 4:07

Total Runtime: 42:00

War All the Time is the third album by Thursday, and their major label debut with Island Records. War All the Time is a bit different from Full Collapse in that there's not as much screaming and the guitars are lighter.

Yellowcard: Lift a Sail [2014] — Album Review

Ryan Key: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keys

Sean Mackin: Violin, Backing Vocals

Ryan Mendez: Lead Guitar, Bass, Percussion

Nate Young: Drums, Percussion

Diana Wade: Viola

Joann Whang: Cello
Produced by Neal Avron

Tracklist:

1. Convocation – 1:56

2. Transmission Home – 4:18

3. Crash the Gates – 3:20

4. Make Me So – 3:11

5. One Bedroom – 4:35

6. Fragile and Dear – 4:04

7. Illuminate – 4:06

8. Madrid – 2:07

9. The Deepest Well – 3:57

10. Lift a Sail – 3:55

11. MSK – 3:46

12. My Mountain – 3:59

13. California – 4:11

Total Runtime: 47:25

Lift a Sail is the ninth album from Yellowcard, and marks a significant departure in sound from their pre-hiatus (Ocean Avenue, Paper Walls) and post-hiatus (When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes and Southern Air) records. Lift a Sail is much less pop-punky than Yellowcard has ever been, and this is the first album without longtime drummer Longineau Parsons.

Thursday: Full Collapse [2001] — Album Review

Geoff Rickly: Lead Vocals

Tom Keeley: Guitar, Vocals

Steve Pedulla: Guitar, Vocals

Tim Payne: Bass

Tucker Rule: Drums
Produced by Sal Villanueva

Tracklist:

1. A0001 – :36

2. Understanding in a Car Crash – 4:25

3. Concealer – 2:19

4. Autobiography of a Nation – 3:56

5. A Hole in the World – 3:28

6. Cross Out the Eyes – 4:08

7. Paris in Flames – 4:33

8. I Am the Killer – 3:35

9. Standing on the Edge of Summer – 3:42

10. Wind-Up – 4:23

11. How Long is the Night? – 5:45

12. i1100 – 1:40

Total Runtime: 42:26

Full Collapse was the breakout hit for Thursday, even though they got screwed over by Victory Records (which was a trend back in the early 2000s). That album cover is not what the band wanted, and the inside of the booklet was supposed to have artwork and the lyrics, but Victory made Rickly choose between wither just artwork or just the lyrics (he chose the lyrics). But did the screwing over have any effect on the recordings? No. Full Collapse still came out great.

Saves the Day: Freakish [2002] — Single Review

Chris Conley: Vocals, Piano
Vocal Era: Stay What You Are

Dave Soloway: Guitar

Eben D’Amico: Bass

Ted Alexander: Guitar

Bryan Newman: Drums

Tracklist:

1. Freakish – 3:46

2. Firefly – 2:51

3. Certain Tragedy (Live at the BBC) – 2:27

Total Runtime: 9:04

Saves the Day: At Your Funeral [2002] — Single Review

Chris Conley: Vocals

Vocal Era: Stay What You Are

Dave Soloway: Guitar

Eben D’Amico: Bass

Ted Alexander: Guitar

Bryan Newman: Drums

Tracklist:
1. At Your Funeral – 3:09
2. Ups & Downs – 3:19
Total Runtime: 6:28

Starset: Transmissions [2014] — Album Review

Dustin Bates: Lead Vocals, Keyboard

Ron DeChant: Bass, Keyboard, Backing Vocals

Brock Richards: Guitar, Backing Vocals

Adam Gilbert: Drums
Produced by Rob Graves

Tracklist:

1. First Light – 1:24
2. Down with the Fallen – 4:17
3. Halo – 3:45
4. Carnivore – 4:22
5. Telescope – 5:31
6. It Has Begun – 5:16
7. My Demons – 4:48
8. Antigravity – 6:09
9. Dark On Me – 5:38
10. Let it Die – 4:32
11. The Future is Now – 4:45
12. The Point of No Return – 3:39
13. Rise and Fall – 5:54

Total Runtime: 1:00:00

My oh my have I been waiting for this one. Transmissions has to be the best album of 2014. Easily. Starset is definitely one of the best acts to come out of the 2010s. Get ready for gushing because there isn't much not to love about this album.

This Time Next Year: Drop Out of Life [2011] — Album Review

Pete Dowdalls: Lead Vocals
Brad Wiseman: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Denis Cohen: Rhythm Guitar
Travis Pacheco: Bass
James Jalili: Drums, Percussion
Produced by Chad Gilbert

Tracklist:

1. Drop Out of Life – 3:49
2. Better Half – 3:00
3. Living Hell – 3:08
4. Last Call – 3:13
5. Modern Day Love Story – 2:55
6. Spoontonic – 3:29
7. Matchbook – 3:04
8. My Side of Town – 3:25
9. Get it, Got it, Good – 2:46
10. Note – 3:31
11. This is an Airport Train – 3:34
12. The Afterlife – 3:01(hidden)
13. Whiskey and Coke – 3:30(hidden)
Total Runtime: 42:19

Drop Out of Life is the second record from California's This Time Next Year, released on September 27th, 2011. Drop Out of Life is a somewhat significant departure from 2009's Road Maps and Heart Attacks, as the guitar work is more intricate, and Wiseman doesn't sing as much, meaning Pete Dowdalls' voice has its chance to shine (not that Brad Wiseman's voice is bad or anything, just saying.). Drop Out of Life has a very nice length, sitting nicely at just over 42 minutes, including the hidden songs on the CD, which—unfortunately—aren't on the vinyls. I'm not sure why TTNY decided to keep "The Afterlife" and "Whiskey and Coke" as hidden songs, as they are some of the best songs on the record.

Saves the Day: Stay What You Are [2001] — Album Review

Chris Conley: Vocals
Vocal Era: Stay What You Are

Dave Soloway: Guitar

Eben D’Amico: Bass

Ted Alexander: Guitar

Bryan Newman: Drums
Produced by Rob Schnapf

Tracklist:

1. At Your Funeral – 3:09

2. See You – 2:09

3. Cars & Calories – 2:45

4. Certain Tragedy – 2:27

5. Jukebox Breakdown – 3:04

6. Freakish – 3:46

7. As Your Ghost Takes Flight – 2:25

8. Nightingale – 3:37

9. All I'm Losing is Me – 3:22

10. This is Not an Exit – 3:55

11. Firefly – 2:51

Total Runtime: 33:30

By far my favorite Saves the Day album, Stay What You Are was the commercial high point of Saves the Day's career.

We Were Promised Jetpacks: Unravelling [2014] — Album Review

Adam John Thompson: Vocals, Guitar

Michael Palmer: Guitar

Sean Charles Smith: Bass

Darren Kenneth Lackie: Drums, Backing Vocals

Stuart Michael McGachan: Keys, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Produced by Paul Savage

Tracklist:

1. Safety in Numbers – 3:38

2. Peaks and Troughs – 3:51

3. I Keep it Composed – 3:50

4. Peace Sign – 4:05

5. Night Terror – 4:39

6. Disconnecting – 5:19

7. Bright Minds – 4:42

8. A Part of it – 3:39

9. Moral Compass – 4:24

10. Peace of Mind – 6:30

11. Ricochet – 4:45

Total Runtime: 47:12

First, let me get the greetings out of the way, Happy New Year everyone! I've got a lot of special plans for 2016 for Tape Deck, and first up is More Reviews January! Now, to the review:
If you've somehow never heard of them, We Were Promised Jetpacks are an alternative group from Scotland, mostly known for their kick-ass name. Unravelling is WWPJ's third album, the follow-up to the excellent In the Pit of the Stomach (which I'll get to eventually).