- We've Only Just Begun
- Move On
- Wake Up, Get Up
- Sing to Me
- The Modern March
- The Call Out
- This Day of Change
- Outline of a Love
- Miles and States
- I'll Forever Sing
Power pop and punk rock may be still strongly resonate with a certain audience, but at a time overcrowded with new bands in the genre, it has to be near impossible to stand out from the pack. Still, the best manage to connect with fans on their rise top, and Illinois band Run Kid Run seems destined to develop a strong following with their first effort,
For sure, you've heard stuff like this before, but Run Kid Run handles oh-so-catchy melodic rock better than most by simply playing better. The solid musicianship suggests that this band has been playing for longer than they really have, recalling the heavier and more fast-paced side of Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, and Sanctus Real. Though the style doesn't vary tremendously throughout the album, there's enough in the instrumentation to characterize each track, thanks in part to the production sensibilities (and piano) of James Paul Wisner (Underoath, Dashboard Confessional). You can really sense the summer romance unfold in "Outline of a Love" as the band continually evolves the feel without jarring the listener's ear.
Also credit Run Kid Run for avoiding too many generic platitudes and not shying away from their beliefs. Amidst the usual songs of breakup ("Move On") and loneliness ("Miles and States"), they hint at a need for spiritual change in the call to action "Wake Up, Get Up." A mention of the Holy Spirit in the ¾ time swing of "The Modern March" is the album's only overt mention of God, yet there's never a question where the band is coming from in prayerful declarations of surrender like "Sing to Me," "This Day of Change," and "I'll Forever Sing." Though not a groundbreaking album by any means, it's very much an enjoyable and accessible debut for a new band of this kind.