This is a lovely little record. I guess it was inevitable the guys behind Forgive and Forget records would sign a band that take influence from The Get Up Kids, so The Arrangement are a lovely surprise. While taking influence from TGUK, they don’t borrow too heavily from their sound, making for an even better listening experience. And what makes this record so damn good is it’s open and honest, a really warm record about growing up and remembering where you come from – aspects that come across as fake all too often from other artists.
At five songs and 25 minutes this is quite lengthy, yet never outstays its welcome. Opening track ‘Lock The Gates’ is a ballsy opener, certainly the most aggressive track, and reminds me a little of Lobster Records’ recently defunct Park. It’s a great little song, full of vocal harmonies and sweet melodies – a trait The Arrangement seem to have nailed. ‘Four Alarm Conversation’ reminds me of Blackpool Lights, while the title track is a really fun pop song and probably the pick of the bunch.
This is just a plain and simple great record. It’s pretentious free, image free and relies on nothing more than the ability to write fantastic rock songs. Honesty is always the best policy and these guys write songs with their hearts on their sleeves – and the results are excellent.