The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

In general, The Whitest Boy Alive's second album is a syrupy mix of some electronic sounds, spurts of electric guitars here and there, and a whole lot of nothing in between. Indeed extremely catchy, and easy to get along with, maybe if you're multitasking and need something to keep you going. But if you want to just sit down, relax, and listen to an album, this might not be the right choice. However, there is an upside. Lead singer Eric Oye, from the Netherlands, has the most soothing, flowing vocal chords I've ever heard. It's almost as if he stuck, like, three sticks of butter down his throat, and sang to make such a harmonic, beautiful sound. I'm not saying he sounds like he's choking or gurgling, I just don't have very good explanations. It's not my strong point. Anyway, back to the record. Without question, my favorite song is the opening track, Keep a Secret. It has a cool, and unpredictable melody, and it's like a wheel rolling down a hill. It's calm and subdued, but its electronic and pulsing beat keeps pulling it along as if it were tied to a rope. The next song, Intentions, can basically be wrapped-up in the category of exciting elevator music. It's happy, and catchy. Now, elevator music itself isn't very exciting. And "exciting elevator music" means it's just a little exciting. It's nothing to go crazy about. But it's likable. Then comes the rest of the album. Timebomb basically just says timebomb over and over again (listen to if you dare), and Gravity, a promising title, kinda "orbits" around the same melody and idea, not daring to break out of the orbit and try something new. And although High on the Heels transcends into the "house" genre more, it still lacks something that makes them seem like they're putting effort into their work. But don't worry. It's not all criticisms. Courage is a rousing little doodle masterfully drawn by the band to keep the listeners interested. Rollercoaster Ride too, a soft ballad that feels like the slowest roller coaster ever. But in a good way. Comes with cleverly-sewn chords too. But then the scale is out-weighed again because of the exit song Island. Seven minutes of droning on and on and on. Like a fat kid playing video games, it just sits and doesn't move. Well, there you have it. I'm just about done here. Album = 61/2 stars. Album cover = 10 stars. Oh, and by the way, they're from Berlin. So that's, like, an automatic plus in my book.



-Julian