For me, pop-punk can either epitomize what makes modern music great, or what makes modern music the blight of this generation. After all, we've seen the likes of excellent acts such as Taking Back Sunday and Yellowcard arise around the same time as Good Charlotte and Sum 41. These bands are polarizing in their legacies and in their critical reception. Luckily 2011 has seen a preposterous amount of great pop-punk, revitalizing the post-Blink-182 scene, and giving hope to a new era of the genre. Well 2011, it's time to welcome another fantastic addition, as This Time Next Year's Drop Out of Life offers up a solid and enjoyable listening experience, standing tall next to the year's best offerings.This Time Next Year have expanded their sound, whilst retaining everything that made their debut great. Drop Out of Life is full of catchy hooks and fun and clever lyrics. The feeling of the album as a whole is fairly infectious, as the jovial atmosphere is bound to alter any sour mood. Pete Dowdalls' vocals are standard fare, but the confidence he exudes more then makes up for his somewhat average delivery. The rest of the band does a fine job as well, throwing in enough intrigue to the tried and true formula to make it worthwhile.
Where Drop Out of Life sort of falls flat is in that it feels far too derivative of, well, every pop-punk band ever. Sure, they do it better than so many others, but I help but feel like This Time Next Year could have strayed from the well-tread just a little bit.
Regardless of how incredibly familiar it is, Drop Out of Life is still a great album that offers up a swell time. It's frighteningly solid, and fun as hell. If you can't get enough of great 2011 pop-punk, then be sure to check out this sure to be looked over gem.
01 – Drop Out of Life
02 – Better Half
03 – Living Hell
04 – Last Call
05 – Modern Day Love Story
06 – Spoontonic
07 – Matchbook
08 – My Side of Town
09 – Get It, Got It, Good
10 – Note
11 – This Is an Airport Train
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