As-It-Stands "the Turning Point" (Distant Rise Records)
When I first heard this CD, I honestly did not know what to expect simply
because I had never heard of this band before or anything about them really.
I think As-It-Stands has a genuine musical quality in a vague way. Let me
explain...
As-It-Stands sounds a lot like Face to Face. It's pop punk, but the
vocals also do. However, they sound a lot like the Face to Face of old, back
before Face to Face started to slow it down and become more pop than punk.
These guys are definitely fast- musically- and they are leaning more towards
punk than pop. Superfast drums, crunching guitar chords and speedy bass
lines make these songs great to put on if you're a fan of punk, or music in
general that is good. As-It-Stands definitely has musical talent, do not
ever discredit them one bit, but they have a rather vague sound that many
other bands also do-- the typical three chords played as fast as possible
behind vocals.
Lyrically, I am impressed because these songs actually deal with life and
the normal things people have to face growing up as a teenager, or just in
every day life as an adult. The songs don't deal with the stereotypical
heartbreak and crying over girls, which is a relief from everything coming
out of the woodwork since Saves the Day first cried. It also ends on a cover
of John Denver's "Country Roads", how punk is that?
Overall, the one thing to keep in mind is that even though "the Turning
Point" may resemble any Face to Face CD in many respects, is that such a bad
thing? Would you rather have another band coming out that sounds like old
Face to Face, or another band with glasses complaining because some girl they
didn't even talk to doesn't love them? If you're a fan of old Face to Face,
you will obviously enjoy this CD. If you do not enjoy old Face to Face (or
have that puzzled look on your face thinking " ...Gameface?") I suggest you
still give this a listen, simply because it is about time for a change. As
much as girls suck and with as many problems as I've had with them, I am
simply tired of hearing songs about it. And for as much as girls suck, life
sucks ten thousand times more on a whole, and I'd rather hear someone sing
about that. Not knowing where our lives our headed or what the purpose is,
simply is a part of life everyone goes through at every age, and that's why I
like this CD. I feel it's time for bands to stop singing about girls and
start singing about life and the pointlessness to it. This CD very well may
break that boundary... Now I see why it's called "the Turning Point".
