The Skeptics – Hearts and Spades

The first song a band has on their debut says a lot. For the most part, it could be the very first time you’ve ever heard a band – and up until that point you have almost no pre-conceptions about them. They could be any type of band, with any genre, any gimmick, and any sound – and they have to sell you on the first song. Seven Story Jumped, the opening track on The Skeptics‘ debut album, Hearts And Spades, doesn’t really sell itself that well the first listen – but instead plant some minor seeds of doubts in the listener’s mind.

“Oh no, not another boring pop-punk band” soon comes to their mind as Seven Story Jumper ends and Loaded Lipstick starts off. There’s not really much there that stands out. Sure, it’s catchy. It has some nice melodies and tempos, with vocals that sound remarkably like pop-punk’s favorites, Fall Out Boy. It really is uncanny the similarities in the vocals (particularly in the final minute of Distress Calls).

But still, there’s nothing too outstanding. That is, until it passes the halfway mark and enters into This Fight. The longest song on the album, nearing five minutes, slows the entire album down to a nice mellow speed. It stands out in the crowd, even the lyrics are printed upside down in the booklet. It actually makes you stop what you’re doing to listen to it. A solid song with a moving chorus that quickly gets you singing along. And after that song, the entire album starts to look up.

Songs like Lock & Key, Distress Calls, and Cold In California start to actually stick out and you start seeing that the band has some great potential. It’s still not one to write home about, as it is somewhat inconsistent. But there’s still enough high points in it to give you hope for the band. Once they figure out how to make themselves slightly more original, then they will be able to really sell themselves with their sophomore. For now, Hearts And Spades will entice some pop-punk lovers, but others will simply push it aside.