Reviewed by Dustin Helgeson

FM Static deliver bouncy rock ‘n’ roll with fun sing-along choruses that are irresistible. The chorus of “Crazy Mary” is reminiscent of the Goo Goo Dolls, in the way that the lyrics are long, but easy to remember because of the rhythmic, brilliant way they are delivered. The disc is full of pop rock gems like this. The question is - which diamond is the shiniest? The answer is “Definitely Maybe”, a song about a girl who’s blind to the fact that she’s in love with an unfaithful and two-timing boyfriend: “Her boyfriend’s shady/Dates another girl named Katie/He loves her definitely maybe.” Similar lyrical wit can be found all throughout the disc, like on “Something To Believe In”: “I feel like it’s teenage hunting season/And nothing out there sounds that decent…/Who’s gunna save us before we all fall through the cracks in the pavement?” FM Static, a side project from members of Thousand Foot Krutch, have a rich taste for hook-filled music and this disc doesn’t slow down one bit. It delivers fast and furious music track after track. All but one track is under three minutes long. This CD might be better than the new release by Thousand Foot Krutch, its brother band, but lacks in overall diversity. They ought to just marry the two bands and leave it at that! The hidden track tops the cake for me, with an acoustic piece reminding me somewhat of Dashboard Confessional. Essentially, this is a pop punk record that is not too dissimilar to Good Charlotte and the new direction of MxPx. FM Static seem to capture everything that is popular at the moment. And who doesn’t like hook-filled pop rock? Exactly.

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