Review Rough Draft

All Time Low, a pop punk band hailing from Baltimore, Maryland released their latest album, Nothing Personal in early July 2009. The album, finished with the help of other artists and producers to co-write songs, reeks of used lyrics, un-original song titles, and doesn’t even compare to their previous 4 released albums. The band did record, write, and produce the album all while touring, but that doesn’t excuse their over-used phrases and typical song lyrics about break-ups, cheating, partying and one-night stands.           

The lead singer, Alex Gaskarth, who wrote all the lyrics for their previous albums, fails to tie up the loose ends in Nothing Personal. In one song, Hello Brooklyn, he spends 40 seconds only singing the names of different cities, just in case we forgot his geographical knowledge. Another track, Break Your Little Heart, basically sums up the song in just the title. The lyrics, screaming about breaking someone’s heart makes you feel as if you were thrown into a middle school relationship where it’s more about revenge than actual emotions.

The seventh track, Too Much, gives light on the actual talent and writing ability the group has, but its unfortunate the auto-tuning is so strong you can’t concentrate on anything else.  Gaskarth has a strong, powerful voice backed up by talented musicians; they should have just left it at that.

 

A lack-luster album with 12 songs that could easily be condensed down to about 4 follows up their previous albums, which were filled with inspirational and moving lyrics. The lyrics in Nothing Personal are over-used, with Gaskarth singing about a “burning flame” or “heated match” in at least three of the songs, and the ideas of the songs never stray far from each other. They only range from broken relationships, to one-night stands and the parties that inevitably led up to it, and they’re words your little sister could’ve wrote in high school.

 

It’s not to say that this album shouldn’t receive any credit though, because you can see their hard-work and dedication throughout the album, it’s just unfortunate it didn’t pay off. In the end,  I would suggest the album if you’re looking for a generic pop-punk track-list that any average band could’ve produced, but if you’re looking for something new and refreshing, I’d walk right by it.

 

Secret Sins

The notable black gates at the entrance, followed by the historic dorms and academic buildings give the atmosphere an almost serene feel, and even give the impression that the libraries, school buildings, and church are constantly filled with students. From the community service Wittenberg students are required to complete, to the continuous church services at the Weaver Chapel, the students seem to be wholesome kids dedicated to their work and religion. Don’t be fooled by the huge library stuffed with books, or the filled classrooms day to day though, the students that trace these halls and rooms don’t necessarily don the sinless image they may want to portray.

Everyone’s sinned. From the smallest sin to the biggest indulgence, any one you can name has taken part in something they may be ashamed to admit. How far have some of these sins gone though? According to a recent poll of 118 students taken at Wittenberg, 87 percent of males and 53 percent of females have gone to class under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both; and 80 percent of males and 49 percent of females have also driven under the influence.

From bonging 151 rum and having LSD induced conversations with a bunny, to “driving to Canada on a whim to gamble,” it seems the more Wittenberg students appear to be studying, the more false that accusation becomes.

So is it just the use of alcohol and illegal substances that lowers our inhibitions, or is it also the sex drive that most students seem to obtain in their years at college? Might be a little bit of both. According to the poll, 22 percent of males have had a threesome while 10 percent of women have, and 76 percent of males and 66 percent of females have fallen to the recent trend of “sexting.”

The sexual tendencies don’t stop there. One student admits he “had sex in a pool with a girl while 30 people were watching,” and another admits they “broke a friend’s mom’s bed while having sex.”

It isn’t just about the alcohol, drugs, and premarital sex, however; cheating in school takes 87 percent of males and 78 percent of females, and 38 percent of both genders have stolen money from their parents.

If you live this life, you know this life. You know that behind the books you study, and the knowledge you gain, there’s still a little, if not a lot, of sin in everyone. Is sin the right word to use though, since the act of “sin” is supposed to leave one damned for eternity? If so, almost all of Wittenberg’s student body is about to be warm for quite some time.