Big Bold Letters,
Cruiserweight
I'd never really paid much attention to Cruiserweight until I heard their recent EP. That record was a really fun blast of female-fronted pop-punk, a little blast of Zolof The Rock and Roll Destroyer pop-punk, if Zolof were a little more serious. 'Big Bold Letters' is the new record on Doghouse and it follows on from the EP pretty well. It's a solid, yet unspectacular, album that hits the spot well. It's a little obvious and there are a few dodgy tracks, but on the whole it's pretty good.
'Calling You From Hell' is a little pointless really and starts things off on the wrong footing. Doghouse describe the band as a mix between Letters To Cleo, Tilt and Paramore and the opener is nothing like any of them. That said the album kicks off properly on 'Balboa' which was the standout track from the recent EP. 'Burst the Bubble' is a good track to listen to if you're new to the band as it's very energetic. Frontwoman Stella is certainly the star of the show and her voice is very much at the forefront - and on that track in particular she's at her strongest.
There are a few weaker songs though which keep the score down. 'Sustainer' is a bit tepid and 'Spread Like Fingers' doesn't really go anywhere. But on the whole this is pretty good and well worth a listen.
