Anywhere But Here by Mayday Parade - There is little I can say to do justice to this amazing album. I still listen to most if not all of it everyday since I bought it. Although there have been a lot of skeptics since Jason Lancaster left the band shortly before the release of A Lesson In Romantics, they can be sure of one thing: Mayday Parade's second full length album delivers to both the musical and lyrical standards set by its predecessor. The opening track Kids In Love may make the first time listener slightly wary - an overused theme about kids in the summertime falling in love. The track is fun, poppy, and very upbeat, which does give off the impression that this may very well turn into another cookie-cutter album from a pop-rock band like all the rest. But leave your worries with that first track, because with the opening of Anywhere But Here, the second and title track of the album, you are immediately reassured that this is indeed an album worthy of your ears. The lyrics of that second song, coupled with the undeniable swells of the music (the key change in the last chorus is particularly moving) bring the band full force with their sophomore effort. The rest of the album continues to impress, with some of the best lyrics heard from the band. It has been extremely hard for me to pick favorites from the album, so much so that I can only really name those that don't particularly impress. The opener, although fun and happy, doesn't quite live up to Mayday's caliber, and the song Get Up is again a fun song but less substance than the others. Along with those two, I'm not a huge fan either of Center Of Attention. That being said, these are still fair tracks, just not quite to the level of the rest of the album. Songs like Still Breathing, Bruised And Scarred, If You Can't Live Without Me Why Aren't You Dead Yet?, Save Your Heart, and I Swear This Time I Mean It are all lyrically near perfection, and the moods change enough that you don't fell like you are listening to the same song over and over as seems to be the trend in this music genre these days. What may be my favorite (if I could choose) is the closing track, The End, which takes the lyrics to a new level and the music beyond what I have heard from this band before. The whole album is a beautiful triumph from a successful band, and this track closing it adds to the prestige that is Anywhere But Here.
Key Tracks: Anywhere But Here, Still Breathing, Bruised And Scarred, If You Can't Live Without Me Why Aren't You Dead Yet?, Save Your Heart, I Swear This Time I Mean It, The End
Currently Listening To: "Still Breathing" by Mayday Parade from "Anywhere But Here"
