Hedley - “The Show Must Go” CD Review
“The Show Must Go” is full of love songs with cheesy lyrics. It’s like a Canadian man-band version of Katy Perry’s songs.
Jacob Hoggard, a former “Canadian Idol” contestant, bassist Tom MacDonald, guitarist Dave Rosin and drummer Chris Crippin make up the B.C. band Hedley, and “The Show Must Go” is their third album which, according to their bio, features “four producers—Goldfinger’s John Feldman (The Used, Story of the Year), Dave Genn (Matthew Good Band), industry veteran David Bendeth (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin) and long-time collaborator Brian Howes (Hinder, Daughtry).”
The first song, “Colour Outside the Lines,” sounds like U2 on the very first impression before it turns into a high-pitched whiny anthem reminiscent of old, 2002, Home Town Hero.
A lot of their songs sound like either Christian anthems or rip-offs of the current radio selection. “I Do, Wanna Love You” is Bruno Mars-esque until Hoggard’s over-enunciated lyrics take over.
“Perfect” has a classical intro that transitions into a mid-tempo break-up ballad with some beautiful strings and Hoggard hitting some high falsetto notes, better than Train’s Patrick Monahan. “Hands Up” is a little bit country and a little bit religious, with lyrics about “praising you.” Hoggard’s voice sounds different than the first three songs before the album transitions into a bouncy reggae feel with “Shelter.”
Is it Jesus doing the saving on “Amazing”? No, it’s “baby,” and it’s about requiring someone else to save you; from what, who knows. “Cha-Ching” features reality television references and dirty lyrics about selling yourself out, while “Don’t Talk to Strangers” sounds like Mike Posner, or a male-version of Ke$ha, singing about a “lady who’s twice my age” and how he wants to get on it.
“Scream” is very Panic! At the Disco/Fallout Boy sounding, but also has a whiff of the Christian vibe with lyrics like “baby you’re my savior.” Hedley attempts to impersonate Ben Harper or Jack Johnson on the uber-cheesy “Friends” which should be the theme to the Forrest and Jenny scenes of “Forrest Gump.”
“Sweater Song” features an acoustic sound with no drums at the beginning, just a here and there tambourine, and daft, hookup lyrics about taking off a sweater and a shirt, apparently about a real relationship.
Although Hedley classifies their music as pop punk/rock, their sound is more emo, alternative and soft. Canada delivers the album they’ve had for a year, “The Show Must Go,” to the U.S. on December 7.
You can view another version of it here at Mountain Weekly News and here at Associated Content.
