Minutes Too Far

Let It Roll (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

I really hate to essentially just cop out and say "Minutes Too Far sound a lot like Fall Out Boy," but they really do sound a lot like Fall Out Boy. The vocal similarities between Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and Minutes Too Far's Danny Black really just cannot be denied. They're definitely not a Panic! At the Di--, er, blatant rip-off, but it's something that will surely cross your mind. That said, it's still important to note that the band does have their own identity, it's just not far off from that of Fall Out Boy.

Like the aforementioned, their game is a brand of sunny pop-rock with infectious vocal harmonies and relatively simple instrumentation. The similarities found in "So Far Away" are uncanny; it's when Black really lets his voice soar that it becomes so apparent. But getting off the FOB tangent, what MTF do they do well, but what do they do that will entice somebody to check this EP out?

It's all in the hooks. Each of these six songs has an undeniably strong and undeniably catchy hook that will really lure you into singing along. It's inevitable. The "whoa-oh"s are just too much to really resist. From early on, the band establishes that strong vocal presence, and maybe it's because that's really all they have to go on, but no matter the reason, it's the center and it's the focus of every song on here. Some end up catchier than others, and "Seems Like" is one of those tunes. Opening with a strong set of riffs, the vocals immediately engage the listener, and while they're relatively subdued during the verses, those big choruses really bring out all the energy that the band has to offer. The lyrics are silly, but not overly so, not so much that you'll resent the band for writing such stupid garbage, as would happen with Panic! At th--, er, other bands.

It's not just the vocals that are catchy though, the rhythms are driving and will leave you tapping your foot in no time at all. "Gimme a Reason" shows some great instrumentation, tight and cohesive but never overextending itself. There's a little bit of soloing, but it sounds perfectly in place, and it's nice that it adds a bit of diversity to a sound that we all know can grow stale extremely quickly.

It's pretty much a black and white case with this one. Like pop-punk/rock? You'll dig this. Don't? This sure as hell won't change your opinion. But based solely on what it is, and how it sounds for the style, there's much worse to be done.