"I've got the worst hangover from you"

Beneath It All (EP) by Hey Monday - Oh where to begin... I suppose I should start with my initial reactions to the single I Don't Wanna Dance when it was released in the summer (or perhaps when I first heard it performed at Warped Tour.) My initial reactions to the song became my general feeling for the entire EP, mainly the question what happened to one of my favorite pop-punk bands? The punk has been left with Hold On Tight, instead the band taking the word "pop" to heart with six songs so produced it's hard to believe there is even a band involved. It could all be done with computers as far as the casual listener can tell, which leads me to wonder where the direction of this once promising band is heading. While the songs are catchy, and the lyrics have a few decent moments (see Wondergirl) they are sadly forgettable, and have lost the spark that came through in their first album. No more guitar riffs and gone are the duets between the punk spark of the music and lead singer Cassadee Pope's sweet and strong voice. Now it seems Hey Monday has fallen victim to overproduction and cookie-cutter, radio friendly tunes that just don't hold the same appeal earlier songs like Homecoming, Candles, and Josie. All in all, the EP is generally alright, as long as you are looking for a pop record with dance ready songs. But don't turn here hoping for a punk pop band, because the latter is all that seems to be left.

Key Tracks: Wish You Were Here, Wondergirl

Currently Listening To: "Summertime" by My Chemical Romance from "Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys"