The Academy Is… – Fast Times At Barrington High

I’m not sure if anybody actually listens to The Academy Is aside from the occasional radio single – but I’ve just recently come to the conclusion that more people should.  The fact is that since the Illinois band’s birth in 2003, The Academy Is has evolved into one of the few power-pop acts worth listening to.  Of course you wouldn’t know it by glancing at the cover of 2008’s Fast Times At Barrington High.  Just look at that album art.  It’s like something you’d find plastered inside an eighth grade locker, and bares all the traits of something marketed towards spoiled teens with too much expendable income.  However, those making it past the cover will find themselves greeted with a far more mature product.

The album opens with the radio hit, “About A Girl.”  Right from hearing William Beckett’s peppy but subdued harmony you just know that The Academy Is strives at fitting alongside established peers Motion City Soundtrack, rather than trying to predict tomorrow’s trends like pop punk flavours of the month All Time Low.  The track demonstrates a wisdom of character evident in its mellow but consistent riffs, low key vocals, and charming hum of a Strokes-like keyboard.  The lyrics aren’t anything to write home about, but “About A Girl” serves as a good counter to shallow love songs.  The track’s premise revolves around recognizing the futility of a distant crush as Becket states “I’m not in love/I’m not going to waste these words,” but he never quite shakes his affections as he rehearses lines for a girl he’ll never confront.  It’s surprisingly deep for a high school themed romance that never happens, but one that thoughtfully recognizes the necessity of hope in futile situations.

Opening with “About A Girl” makes for a rather high bar since nothing that follows ever quite surpasses its excellent lyrical and hook laden self.  That being said, Fast Times still hits all the right notes.  “His Girl Friday” and “Summer Hair = Forever Young” serve as additional examples of great single picks, with the later half of the album coming laced with mellow gems like “ Rumored Nights,” inviting comparisons to borderline indie acts like The Spill Canvas or The Forecast.  There are even a few curious experimental moments – most notably the discordant intro on “Crowded Room.”

Fast Times is a pleasant surprise that should have no problem proving to jaded twenty-something skeptics like myself that power pop can have a mature, worthwhile side.  I should mention that a few juvenile tracks pop up here and there – “Beware! Cougar!” being the only one truly worth skipping – but even that isn’t enough to taint my positive spin after a few solid listens.

When all is said and done, it’s nice knowing I can finally listen to something outside of the ordinary when I feel a hankering for some Motion City Soundtrack.