Album Review: This Time Next Year - Road Maps and Heart Attacks

Taking their name from The Movielife's 2000 album, This Time Next Year's debut full-length is a throwback to the turn-of-the-millennium pop-punk. No over-produced, slickly produced songs here. Just balls out, sing it loud tunes played a bouncy, upbeat tempo.

'Rise & Fall, Curtain Call' opens with its furious beat, strong blend of duel vocals and an overall enjoyable slice of pop-punk. 'New Sensation' keeps the momentum going with Pete Dowdalls' vocals sounding superb with the full band supporting him well. A re-done version of 'Alex In Wonderland' is next and brilliantly shows how Dowdalls' and Brad Wiseman's vocals play off each other.

So far it all sounds good but as the album progresses, it all sounds the same but at the same time its enjoyable. Each track has its own little favourable niche, 'Rhyme and Reason' has an irresistible chorus that will have you harmlessly bouncing along too. Whilst 'No Bed of Broken Glass' takes a huge All Time Low-like chorus and mixes it with raw, punk rock energy. The same can be said for 'Calling In Dead' and is something that you can't help but enjoy.

'Out of Eastern' lyrically is hopeful and backed by the bands simple, anthem-esq approach. Whilst 'Cheers To A Late Night' closes the album with its adrenaline-filled beat but by this time, it doesn't sound anything new or different.

'Road Maps and Heart Attacks' is one of those albums that can be classed as good but not great, as This Time Next Year show they can write infectious, sing-a-long pop-punk but like the genre, it is limited to an extent and for some bands, can be difficult to challenge.

Nevertheless This Time Next Year have produced a record that should be given a chance and will please those who are fans of bands like New Found Glory and The Movielife, as This Time Next Year have captured a sound that not enough bands pull off so well these days. A sound that is raw and upbeat but is not over-produced and distracted by outside factors, like the bands image etc. In other words, the band are being themselves and keeping it real.

For a debut release it is acceptable but for album number 2, I'd like to see a slight hint in variation but keeping the positives this album has produced.

3.5/5

'Road Maps and Heart Attacks' by This Time Next Year is released on Equal Vision Records on October 20th.

This Time Next Year on MySpace

Sean Reid