But today is all about the former The White Tie Affair frontman, Chris Wallace!
Chris Wallace's debut solo album, "Push Rewind" comes out today on September 4th, 2012, and we couldn't be more-
Wait what.
YES! You read that correctly! "Push Rewind" was actually released a year and a half ago! For reasons mostly unknown, the album is being re-released a year and a half later with some bonus content. The album was pulled from iTunes sometime at the end of 2013, and was released again on March 4th with some added bonus content. The only noteworthy thing I can find that might have something to do with the unexplained re-release, is that there are a handful of online news sources that reported ThinkSay Records (Wallace's record label) was signed to Caroline Distribution. So my only guess is that the new distributor wanted to profit from the album.
But thats really not why we're here is it?
Of course not! We're here to talk about what's ON the album. So let's not delay any further!
1. PUSH REWIND (REMEMBER WHEN)
So the opening track, which doubles as the title track, was ALSO the debut single from Wallace! The song released as a single on June 12th 2012, so it's a tad dated to say the least. (To put that in perspective, the #1 song in the country at the time was Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".)
This is one of my favorite songs on the album. The song is pretty straightforward, and it has a strong pop-rock vibe to it. It follows the oh-too-common story of a boy begging a girl for another chance, and how he wishes that they could rewind to a simpler time of young love. Wallace's voice fits well in the song; it has just the right blend of pop-rock yell and teen-heartthrob swoon. Not a bad combination to have. (Think Hayley Williams of Paramore mixed with Austin Mahone.)
The track is just a really fun song for a pretty "downer" topic, and I love that. Most of the time when we see songs about people that are upset, they are slow and depressing (I.E. "When I Was Your Man", "Say Something", etc.) This song is upbeat and fun to listen to! It's pretty freakin' awesome! Great opening to an album.
2. KEEP ME CRAZY
"Keep Me Crazy", the second track, is a fun pop song. No two ways about it. The lyrics are pretty boring. Lots of cliches. He talks about how a girl is driving him crazy. Yawn. Im already bored.
To put it plainly, its NOT a bad song; its just boring. The song isn't all that different than "Push Rewind", and I feel like I'm just listening to the same song twice. That being said, if you aren't listening to the whole album, and only heard this song, you'd likely think this is a great pop tune. Not my favorite, but definitely enjoyable.
3. DON'T MIND IF I DO
Okay, now this album is just silly. I'm pretty sure this is the same song for a third time. While full of fun beats, the song is pretty tame. Granted; this IS my favorite song on the album, mainly because of its cliche,romantic, and super generic lyrics. . In it's defense, its a little slower than the other two, and not as much of a party tune. I don't know how to describe this song. Its like the previous two, just not as upbeat and dancey. Take a listen, tell me what you think;
4. HURRICANE
And for the fourth time in a row, we see the same song. This album is really tired at this point. I mean, me personally, I love the super-bubblegum pop sound of this song, but I just feel like I've listened to the same song four times. Now if you we're to put this in the middle of Summer-Party playlist; forget about it. I'd be on my feet signing along at the top of my lungs. Still, this album needs a breath of fresh air.
Wait what.
YES! You read that correctly! "Push Rewind" was actually released a year and a half ago! For reasons mostly unknown, the album is being re-released a year and a half later with some bonus content. The album was pulled from iTunes sometime at the end of 2013, and was released again on March 4th with some added bonus content. The only noteworthy thing I can find that might have something to do with the unexplained re-release, is that there are a handful of online news sources that reported ThinkSay Records (Wallace's record label) was signed to Caroline Distribution. So my only guess is that the new distributor wanted to profit from the album.
But thats really not why we're here is it?
Of course not! We're here to talk about what's ON the album. So let's not delay any further!
1. PUSH REWIND (REMEMBER WHEN)
So the opening track, which doubles as the title track, was ALSO the debut single from Wallace! The song released as a single on June 12th 2012, so it's a tad dated to say the least. (To put that in perspective, the #1 song in the country at the time was Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".)
This is one of my favorite songs on the album. The song is pretty straightforward, and it has a strong pop-rock vibe to it. It follows the oh-too-common story of a boy begging a girl for another chance, and how he wishes that they could rewind to a simpler time of young love. Wallace's voice fits well in the song; it has just the right blend of pop-rock yell and teen-heartthrob swoon. Not a bad combination to have. (Think Hayley Williams of Paramore mixed with Austin Mahone.)
The track is just a really fun song for a pretty "downer" topic, and I love that. Most of the time when we see songs about people that are upset, they are slow and depressing (I.E. "When I Was Your Man", "Say Something", etc.) This song is upbeat and fun to listen to! It's pretty freakin' awesome! Great opening to an album.
2. KEEP ME CRAZY
"Keep Me Crazy", the second track, is a fun pop song. No two ways about it. The lyrics are pretty boring. Lots of cliches. He talks about how a girl is driving him crazy. Yawn. Im already bored.
 |
| This music video has some pretty freaky parts. Like something out of a horror movie if taken out of context. |
3. DON'T MIND IF I DO
Okay, now this album is just silly. I'm pretty sure this is the same song for a third time. While full of fun beats, the song is pretty tame. Granted; this IS my favorite song on the album, mainly because of its cliche,romantic, and super generic lyrics. . In it's defense, its a little slower than the other two, and not as much of a party tune. I don't know how to describe this song. Its like the previous two, just not as upbeat and dancey. Take a listen, tell me what you think;
4. HURRICANE
And for the fourth time in a row, we see the same song. This album is really tired at this point. I mean, me personally, I love the super-bubblegum pop sound of this song, but I just feel like I've listened to the same song four times. Now if you we're to put this in the middle of Summer-Party playlist; forget about it. I'd be on my feet signing along at the top of my lungs. Still, this album needs a breath of fresh air.
Kudos to the person who couldn't even
get the song's name correct.
5. BEST MISTAKE
So this song isn't as similar to the others. It's still a very pop-y song, but with a heavy acoustic backing, it doesn't feel as overproduced. It's a much slower track, but doesn't feel drawn out. It's just a very plain and happy song. The material is old - Pleading with a girl that he loves - but at this point in the album, that seems like it is to be expected.
6. I'LL BE THERE
This album is not looking good. I can't even force myself to keep going because all of the songs are the exact same thing. While this song is a much slower track, I don't need to hear about Chris Wallace's girl problems anymore. This whole thing just seems very whiny. "I'll Be There" is a much more emotional piece that almost seems anthem-y at points, but it uses so many cliches that I feel as though I'm going to vomit.
7. TIME BOMB (WALK AWAY)
Okay so I don't hate this song. It is just fun enough where I don't feel like I'm going to rip my hair out from hearing the same song for the 7th time. The piece is put together really well and doesn't feel as generic as the others. Not to mention that this song goes off from the typical "BABY I LOVE YOU. YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING." storyline that we've grown so used to. This song is actually Wallace pleading for a girl to leave him. (It's not nearly as cold-hearted as it sounds.) Definitely one of the better songs on the album.
8. INVINCIBLE
YAY! I'm pretty sure this song doesn't have anything to do with a girl! I never thought this day would come! This pop-anthem as just as many cliches as the other songs, but now that it's not just Wallace whining about the girl of his dreams for 4 minutes, you don't really notice it. This song has a much more real feel to it, and less like one of the fantasies that Wallace sings about.
9. READY TO FALL
WHOA. This song isn't really a pop song. That's a first. Another dramatic turn away from the first half of the album, this slow piano ballad is pretty emotional. And while the contrast is certainly appreciated, by this point I'm so tired of hearing about Wallace' s girl problems, a lot of the intended sentiment is gone. The lyrics are once again super cheesy; any artist that uses "Na, Na, Na, Na, Na" to fill a lyrical gap is dead to me. Still probably one of the better songs on the album though.
10. DO IT ALL AGAIN
This anthem is a really strong finish for a sub-par album. The song is musically different from most of the other tracks, and end the album on a high note. The rock-tinge to the pop song is a nice touch. Wallace's vocals sound right on this track, and less pop-y than they do the rest of the album. He seems to have a much more rock-oriented voice. (Well duh Tory, The White Tie Affair was a pop-rock band. I like the diversity of this song, as it seems like a big melting pot of all the songs on the album.
CONCLUSION
"Push Rewind" was pretty weak. I mean, if you're a 14 year old girl with the musical taste of a sponge (don't question my analogies), this album is probably right up your alley. It had its strong points, but it was like finding a diamond in the rough; when this album had a peak, it was always being undermined by numerous annoyances, such as repetitive lyrics and subject matter. The album was a pretty typical pop album, but doesn't really have much else going for it.
You guys can check out the album on iTunes HERE
Did you listen to "Push Rewind"?
Leave your thoughts on the album in the comment section below!
Don't stray to far away from the blog! Next time, we'll be reviewing Pharrell Williams' new album "G I R L"!
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