On the same day as their first full-length album Right for Me makes its debut, the pop-punk foursome Brighter Brightest will embark on a 14 city tour across our great nation. This whirlwind promotional blitz starts August 9th and rolls on until September 3rd.
Produced by the heavyweight team, Machine (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship), the group hammers out 11 easy listening tunes, which follow the standard pop-punk recipe of catchy riffs and tales of heartbreak.
On the lead single, “Everyday”, the lyrics read “every day I try and forget about you” and “it’s too late and I won’t wait for you.”
Lead vocalist, Derek Hoffman packs a punch weaving in and out of upbeat verses and drawn out bridges. He manages to avoid careering towards the stereotypical pop-punk whining vocal peak. Their sound also manages to glom onto an organic feel by avoiding the synthesizer layering of their peers. This most likely means their sound stays consistent from the ear buds to the main stage, a huge plus for a group with a relatively fresh fan base.
What Brighter Brightest does best is their consistency. What the quartet lacks is innovation. Lyrically, the majority of the tracks stay well within “the box”. The overly repetitive lyrics and subject matter help to fill the mind, but don’t do much to stretch it.
On “Who I’m Supposed to Be”, the weakest song on the album, the band moves outside of their previous pop-punk formula and without a substantial hook the song gets tangled up in itself. “It’s Not Easy” delivers a softer, pleasing vocal and gets the LP back on course. “Right For Me” closes the show with bold rock, reminiscent drums and some refreshing vocal exclamations.
Overall, Brighter Brightest is a top contender in their pop-punk peer group and a marquee CD for road trips, laying on the dock and young love with all its wins and losses.
Sounds like:
Cartel, Newfound Glory, The Maine
Spin these first:
1. All I know
2. You got me
3. Moving