When I inserted my promo copy of Number One Fan’s Compromises my computer detected a virus. Was this an omen? Read on…
Once my malarious computer was revived from the brink of a harmless infection, the sounds of Compromises came rumbling through my living room speakers. Generally, this was a pleasing result, though not necessarily an ameliorative one.
Compromises is the debut album from Appleton, Wisconsin’s Number One Fan. Though their website doesn’t tell you an awful lot of the fellas, we do learn who their influences are, though one listen to the first few songs on Compromises will answer that question for you rather loudly.
The album leads off with the taught, terse and terrific “Come On.” Though a typical love-song that is fairly common in this genre, it’s a catchy listen nevertheless. Reminiscent of contemporaries like Foo Fighters, Switchfoot and Jimmy Eat World, this song undoubtedly sets the tone for the remainder of Compromises.
The album is full of emo-inspired pop-ditties like “Can’t Forget” and “Don’t Say Anything” to the more toned-down offerings like “The Prettiest Sin” and “Sorry.” For the most part, however, the remainder of Compromises consists of cookie-cutter quasi-punk songs that are too-heavily based on the emo aesthetic: loud, passionate and genuine vocals coupled with lots of percussion and loud, occasionally crunching guitar licks. “Nothing Will Change” has the band sounding too much like Dave Grohl’s mates, and “There Went the World” is a forgettable 5 minutes of pop-fluff.
It’s very difficult to write much about Compromises. Though the songs are catchy and somewhat introspective, they don’t leave much of a mark once the 44 minutes are expired. None of the songs are bad, but none will leave you wanting to hit the repeat button.
Clearly, Number One Fan has significant promise as artists, and I will look forward to the follow-up to Compromises. Until then, I can’t recommend Compromises, but I won’t dismiss it either. If you like Jimmy Eat World, The Juliana Theory and The Sheila Divine, then Compromises is parked right in your alley.
