Bands should learn by their mistakes. It’s forgiveable to forget to do something first time round, but if you forget to enclose a tracklisting the second time you send off a CD to be reviewed, that’s not good and shows a sloppy side to a band that any potential listener or label is going to immediately be put off by. Blue Box Generation are a straight up pop-punk band from Peterborough with a no-frills sound that has built up a reasonable local following. Their first demo, which we reviewed back in August, was a very basic and uninspiring effort that merely mimmicked a number of other, more popular, bands of a similar ilk. This second demo has a bash at doing things slightly differently – and at times pulls it off successfully.
Without a tracklisting (and you lose half a star for making the same balls up) it’s difficult to differentiate between the songs, other than going through them in order. The opening track is by far the best, combining an Ash meets Weezer style guitar pop sound that is reasonably refreshing. The production is solid, certainly better than the last demo, and the drums use some interesting rolls and fills. The vocals, however, are pretty scratchy throughout and do let the side down. If things were looking up, they’re soon on the way back down again though as the remaining two sons slide into the world of cliche. The pop-ska upstrums that dog the second track can be found in any pub in any town on a weekly basis – it’s a derivative sound trademarked by 16-year-old kids in their first band and should be avoided at all costs. [spunge] made their name five years ago – second rate knock offs in 2005 should be avoided at all costs.
There are plus points for Blue Box Generation to take a look at and take stock of. The production is better and the first song especially show an improvement in song structure and a refreshing alteration in their sound. But it doesn’t take too long for the quality of the songs to decline rapidly and end up dull and uninspiring. The vocals need work too if BBG are going to ever make it out of their home town.
www.blueboxgeneration.20m.com
Paul