THE FRANTIC 'Audio & Murder' (Sinister Muse) RATING: 6.5/10 Buy now

By RYAN MAVITY

Chicago’s The Frantic’s latest album, Audio & Murder, is a long way from what usually appears on Live-Metal.net. Gorgoroth these guys are not. I suppose the only way to review the album is on its on own terms and not by the standard of what we usually review here.

That said, Audio & Murder is a well-crafted, energetic album of power punk that bursts at the seams with catchy hooks and tight, three-chord songs. The Frantic, despite all of its members being under the age of 20, is well-schooled in Ramones-esque pop songs that echo Orange County pop-punk. No song is more than three minutes long and are all high energy. Much like Texas Ranger Bobby, these kids seem all hopped up on Mountain Dew. These songs seem more conducive to live shows than the studio. This is the sort of band that would thrive on the local party circuit. While many of the songs are high-speed numbers, some of the better moments are slowed down, such as on the acoustic number “Movin’ Along” and the danceable “I Don’t Want to Be Alone.” Some of the lyrics are on the cliché side, like “Rock & Roll Renegade,” “Always Gonna Roll” and “Fast Girl.” But then again, with the band members being so young, they can be given a pass for not being bastions of lyrical complexity.

Audio & Murder is nothing that is gonna set the world on fire, and if you aren’t a fan of this kind of music, it’s not going to convert you. Then again, one of the album’s charms is its youthful energy and naiveté. The band brings a ton of energy to the songs and plays the hell out of them.