Rating: 
I bought this record at the store the other day because for some reason I sincerely hold fond memories of this band. The first few records were great, and then the band slowly lost its appeal. Congratulations Nathan! You’re an adult.
Listening to this record all day today, and last night, it was hard to remember exactly what it was about this band that I really enjoyed. I went back to the old records from my younger days–when I was 20. There was the answer–the remnants of pop-punk and emo. Don’t smirk! You liked this stuff too!
Anyways, in the beginning, James Dewees–keyboardist for now defunct The Get Up Kids–he blended comedy along with really solid melodies. He tossed me a few solid keyboard solos, and even through samples of hilarious clips into the album. They were seamless, and honestly, I thought they were special–still hold a spot in my heart.
Of course, there was some remnants of hardcore on the old albums, clearly remaining from Dewees days in Coalesce. It was just a small enough dose to go well with the feel of the record. Now, that is all that remains.
There are few moments on this record that are redeemable. The incessant screaming is so 99′ and I just don’t have the patience for it. And, the lyrics I could decipher were simple, though I never considered Dewees to be much of a songwriter.
For me, this was his last gasp–his “last stop” if you will. For me, this was my last stop. This album reminded me of where I have been, and who I have become–frankly, I’m an adult. This record brought that to a head. Thanks Reggie, for that you get half a star.
We have to start this list off with a disclaimer. We have three writers, all with different tastes, so the list should reflect that a little bit. Also, these are our opinions, and by no means, are they meant to be seen as an “end all be all” to the question of what were the best songs of 2009. That being said, we like our list quite a bit. Sure, it’s got some expected numbers at the top, but the rest of the list is genius. We’ve got some of the songs streaming for you, and the rest take you straight to youtube. Follow the jump for full list.
