Review → The Copyrights – Learn the Hard Way (2008)
The Copyrights - Learn the Hard Way
The Copyrights are a pop-punk band from Carbondale, IL, which Wikipedia tells me a somewhat small city in southern Illinois. Obviously that’s close enough to get a major dose of influence from the Chicago scene, especially the one and only Screeching Weasel. These guys have been putting out albums for a few years now, and last year released the fantastic Make Sound. This year sees the band back with yet another full-length, in addition to a split with fellow Illinois punks The Methadones.
The band’s latest record is full of the same bouncy, fun pop-punk anthems that have populated their past releases. While Make Sound was a somewhat dark affair, the mood here is lighthearted and jovial. There’s still some pessimism the be found (see: “Shit’s Fucked”), but the band has never been Off With Their Heads.
The album kicks off with the rollicking opener, “Second Hearse Same as the First,” and wastes no time speeding through 14 soings at a breakneck pace; the whole album clocks in notably under half an hour. Each song has a chorus that begs to be sung/shouted along to, probably most effectively while pumping your fist or pointing your index finger wildly in a sweaty crowd of people all doing the same.
The songs here are, as stated, all pretty brief affairs; I don’t think anything here clocks in over 2 miinutes, and some just barely hit the minute mark (“57 North”). This isn’t a bad thing, since even in that short time, the band crafts something memorable and catchy. The band certainly has found its stride in terms of songwriting and execution, and manage to convey a sense of fun and energy with this album.
The Copyrights have delivered a follow-up to an amazing album that as good as, if not better than that album. One of the best this year. Fans of pop-punk owe it to themselves to give this a listen.
Rating: Buy.
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