The members of the San Diego quartet
Allstar Weekend met when they were in high school, and after a few years of gigging and making their debut EP, they still sound like they are in high school. The sunny, breezy emo pop sound of
Suddenly is geared for teenagers who want something a little more punk that
the Jonas Brothers but not punk enough to muss up anyone’s carefully styled hair. The group writes very catchy songs with very teenage concerns: songs about identity, crushes, painful breakups, how awesome weekends are, and how rad it would be to suddenly become a rock star. Zachary Porter delivers the words in a sweet and innocent style, the band provides some energy, and the production team (which features big names like Howard Benson and S*A*M & Sluggo) covers the basic rock setup of guitar, bass, and drums with all kinds of keyboards, effects, and modern production tricks. It’s a very slick presentation that’s perfect for radio and destined for mall store soundtracks. ~ Tim Sendra