Upon seeing the four bearded and stocky members of pop-punk heavyweights FOUR YEAR STRONG, a significant proportion of the fan base exclaimed something along the lines of: “They sure don’t look like they should be making music like that…”. On their third release proper (discounting ‘Explains it All’ for obvious reasons) the band appear to have taken these observations to heart.
For those expecting a logical progression from previous FOUR YEAR STRONG effort ‘Enemy of the World’, ‘In Some Way, Shape, or Form.’ is likely to surprise and shock in equal measures. It is undoubtedly a release which is going to pull the dedicated fan-base in two very different directions; those who embrace the new direction and developments in sound, and those who yearn for the pop-punk antics of the previous records. Especially for a band that made their name with a lively cover of Sara Bareilles’ ‘Love Song’, ‘In Some Way, Shape or Form.’ is nothing less than an unexpected curveball.
Anyone who has heard lead single ‘Just Drive’ will have some idea of the direction FOUR YEAR STRONG have taken – the song takes a more straightforward rock (with pointy fingers) direction, removing a considerable amount of the pop-rock clichés which formed the foundations of previous albums. It would be unfair to claim that FOUR YEAR STRONG have removed all of the pop-punk sensibilities, with a number of moments in ‘Just Drive’ sounding as if FOO FIGHTERS and SUM 41 were involved in a head-on car accident, forcing their most interesting structures to combine into a brand new sound, seething with influences from both genres. This amalgamation of sound is echoed throughout the twelve tracks on offer, and although it may sound like an unlikely combination, it works in every single way.
As for the rest of the album, ‘Just Drive’ may not be entirely representative of the sounds to come. The track is one of the more mainstream rock songs on ‘In Some Way, Shape, or Form’, and a vague indication of how much of the energy and power that is typically associated with pop-punk has been transferred into the new sound. The combination with more stadium sized power-riffs helps to raise the sheer intensity of the album above anything fans may find in the back-catalogue. Numbers such as ‘Stuck In The Middle’, ‘Heaven Wasn’t Built To Hold Me’ and the immensely catchy yet destructive opener ‘Infected’ easily surpass anything on ‘Enemy of the World’ in both quality and precision. By the time you reach ‘Only The Meek Get Pinched. The Bold Survive’ even the minute long piano/vocal intro won’t shake you – though it probably should, and it’s probably going to raise a few eyebrows.
‘In Some Way, Shape, or Form.’ is different, and in being different will divide its audience. Those who are not afraid of change should relish what is an exceptional rock record. FOUR YEAR STRONG have achieved the unexpected by creating a solid powerhouse of an album while maintaining the punk attitude that got them noticed in the first place. For those who argue that this is not the same band: “FOUR YEAR STRONG are dead; long live FOUR YEAR STRONG“.
BEN TIPPLE