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8 out of 10
Surely we all know what Cute Is What We Aim For sound like by now? And you probably know if you're going to enjoy this album or not already too I suspect? For those of you teetering on the brink though, hopefully this review helps you make your decision.
Debut album "The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch" won the hearts of a whole army of CIWWAF fans with the sassy, sugary pop-punk you've come to expect from the Fueled By Ramen stable that holds the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco (Note the inclusion of the ! as we're talking first album P!ATD here), Punchline and This Providence. But the drama that followed, with in-fighting, members leaving and then coming back to the band in what seemed like a never ending rotating line-up (Perhaps the inspiration for the album title?) helped create a massive back-lash as well. The punk purists were never going to enjoy CIWWAF, I mean just look at their name, but the diva antics really sunk the nail home.
Two years later "Rotation" has hit the shelves and whilst drinking from the same well as "The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch" it's a fleshier, deeper beast. Maybe it's the production of John Feldmann (Previously produced Story Of The Year, The Used and Lost Prophets), maybe it's all the trials and tribulations the band went through just to get to this point (For the full back story read the ever reliable Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cute_Is_What_We_Aim_For), or maybe it's just the next logical step after their debut? You couldn't say this album is dark, or mature, but it has a bit more bite and crunch than their previous offering (In relative terms of course).
Some songs are very silly, I can't think of a better way to describe them, but the lyrics to "Navigate Me" are actually a mix of creepy and embarrasing. Here are just a couple of examples:
"I’m creeping your way and these sheets aren’t stopping me"
"Navigate me through your body, I love the way you talk on top of me"
"These sheets aren’t stopping me, cause my minds on a mission"
Once you get past some of the playground talk the hooks are massive and the choruses extraordinarily infectious. "Practice Makes Perfect" is A grade single material (Funny that.they chose it as their first single), "Safe Ride" has a rock-ballad edge to it that makes you think the girls could be swooning already and then "Doctor" is a full-on pop-rock tour de force that may as well force you to tap your foot along to the beat.
With the line-up seeming farily secure at the time of writing this article, the choice to bring Dave Melillo on bass seems a healthy reason as to why this album has turned out so good. A surefire summer hit "Rotation" has trodden those ill-faited boards of tricky second album and come out on top.
Listen: www.myspace.com/cuteiswhatweaimfor
Tracklist:
1. Practice Makes Perfect
2. Doctor
3. Navigate Me
4. Loser
5. Do What You Do
6. Hollywood
7. Safe Ride
8. The Lock Down Denial
9. Marriage To Millions
10. Miss Sobriety
11. Time
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