The Academy Is… has decided that they don’t want to grow up yet. Their second release, Santi was everything this album wasn’t, lyrically mature, diverse, and above all experimental. However, it was also a flop. So, the boys from Barrington decided they wanted to rewind, forget that Santi ever happened and pick up where Almost Here (their first release) left off.
Fast Times at Barrington High is everything their second release should have been, there’s even a thick reference to their first album in the song “After The Last Midnight Show” as front man William Beckett echoes the name of their first release repeatedly as to act like Santi never happened.
Catchy, sugary choruses and a much more natural progression loads Fast Times at Barrington High with tons of energy, that creates refreshing anthems that are the best the band has released to date.
No whining, or heart-drenched sob stories are to be found on this album, yet it still has so much in common with their first release Almost Here, which is a heavily layered emo album. They left the driving guitars and decided to focus on other aspects of high school other then the overused and abused theme of heartbreak. They’ve done that before, and done it well.
Fast Times at Barrington High is by far the best music that The Academy Is… has recorded, maybe it’s the new producers, or maybe it’s the band – either way, this album rocks.
release date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
