Fullerton's Reviews
www.toomanycolors.com
The Year Emo Sank
by Eric Swedlund
Fullerton describes themselves as nerd rock, a label that Iīve heard before, but not very often. I would call The Rentals nerd rock. Other labels that people throw around include math rock, power pop, and post-pop-punk. My favorite? Indie-rock darlings. How you label a band never really matters. Or maybe it does. I havenīt decided.
Fullertonīs songs are snappy little nuggets. I can imagine, from the lines that form in my small Illinois town for emo shows, what the mob scene must be like in Daytona Beach when Fullerton plays. And, always, the question of what to wear. What the hell, I say. Dress like a freak. Some people will, and some wonīt, but no one looks down on you either way.
"Wednesday" is the best song of the bunch, a shining example of pop craftmanship, with staccato verses and melodic chorus. I am literally bouncing while I listen to the energy in this song. "Am I Wrong" is almost as good, with a great sing-along chorus and a ska hook. Both of these songs are also available in live versions, a little faster and with acceptable recording quality.
The only clunker of the bunch is "Battery." Not that itīs bad, just not as good as the other two. It has some heavier riffs that donīt really fit, and it grates a bit, in my opinion.
Could Fullerton lead the emo revolution? Possibly, after some time together. Should they? Some people never want a band to go big, considering them their band. I, for one, think it would be nice for a small band to actually make some money and get recognition for their efforts, but Iīm happy just to have found them.
Indie bands keep the music world fresh. Whether or not they get big, I just wish the big five music labels didnīt have such control over the airwaves, throwing genres at us seemingly on a whim. And when will the damn cute boy bands finally rot in hell?
