Summer is Far From Over

Australian quartet 5 Seconds of Summer have taken the music industry by storm literally in the span of five seconds. They’re currently one of the growing hottest groups in the scene right now, and they’re currently playing various venues in the Los Angeles area, including a sold out Rose Bowl performance on Patriots’ Day. With the band achieving such overnight success and conduct the screams of a sea of girls, this reviewer admittedly had some high expectations.

Who doesn’t love hearing four good-looking – underage - Australians serenading to you? In a nutshell, 5 Seconds of Summer is a fusion of boy band meets punk rock. The music alone is reminiscent of pop punk bands of today – namely All Time Low since lead singer Alex Gaskarth co-wrote several songs on the album – however, the song lyrics are some of the cheesiest this reviewer has heard in awhile: “So tell me what else I can do. I bought my fake ID for you.” Ultimately, the words capture your heart so it gets the job done.

It’s a tug of war to like this band whole-heartedly because the music stands out yet the lyrical content doesn’t complement it well. Understandably, the 5SOS boys are still young and have room to mature and improve, but cheesy lyrics aside, their musicianship can be appreciated since they each rock out on their own individual instruments and contribute solid vocal melodies and harmonies.

They gave a decent performance playing songs off their self-titled album, which debuted at no. 1 on Billboard 200, and two cover songs: “Teenage Dream” and “What I Like About You.” Their songs are incredibly catchy and easy to sing along to after one listen, so by the end of their performance, the entire stadium was in unison. Sparsely throughout the performance, they brought high energy but could have given a lot more. They nailed all their musical cues and delivered a well-rehearsed show but lacked the spark of energy that instantly wins new fans over.

5 Seconds of Summer established themselves impressively into the industry and will undoubtedly continue to grow as artists. Their self-titled album released in July and is available in stores and iTunes.

Words by Siri Svay, Photos by Victoria Patneaude

*Note: The opinions expressed in the Music Connection Photo Blog do not directly reflect that of the Music Connection brand. These are posted “as is” without additional support from MC.