Mixtapes – Ordinary Silence

Mixtapes – Ordinary Silence
Review by Trevor Figge 

Mixtapes is a four piece small pop-punk band on Run For Cover Records from Ohio. They released their third full-length yesterday named Ordinary Silence. It is the follow up album to Even On The Worst Nights an album, which for me was the perfect blend of male/female duets with the edge of punk and the catchy choruses of pop. If I had to describe them as a band I would say that Mixtapes is the more punk version of We Are The In Crowd; they are everything a ‘Pop-Punk Scenester’ could want in a dual vocalist pop-punk band. Ordinary Silence is no exception to these claims, Mixtapes released an album full of catchy hooks and fast verses that are sure to have you posi-jumping, chanting and singing along, meanwhile angrily finger pointing in no time.

Ordinary Silence stays true to Mixtapes roots, while branching out stylistically. The first half of Ordinary Silence comes off as rather, well… unenergetic and forgettable in comparison to the later half of the album. As much as it pains me to say it, I do not remember much of the first half. This is simply because the second half of this album out shines anything they could have put out. Songs like “Bad Parts” “Ross (Dirty Water)” and “C.C.S.” help make the beginning memorable. However, they just weren’t enough for me to fall in love with this album instantly. In fact it left me slightly jaded for the rest of the album.

However, I must say that the second half of Ordinary Silence is phenomenal! It is quite possibly perfect! Both Maura’s and Ryan’s voices blend together to create an angry, adorable and punk attribute that is impossible to pass up in this cookie cutter scene of bands trying to be the next Wonder Years. Their voices contradict one another, yet it’s simply adorable. Maura is effeminate, cute and sweet yet I would hate to get on her bad side. Where as Ryan is your angry punk friend that sings and looks like he should be in NOFX. As they sing about honest and heart-felt matters you can’t help but sway back-and-forth like a teenage girl at a 1-D concert. With stand out songs like “I Think I Broke It,” “A List Of Things I Can’t Handle” and “Swirling” you realize exactly what Mixtapes is. Mixtapes is the cute and fluffy perfect definition of pop punk. If I were to suggest just one song to listen to in order to better understand who Mixtapes is, it would be “A List Of Things I Can’t Handle.” This is Mixtapes. This is fun, honest and cute pop punk at it’s best.

Overall Rating: 3.8/5
Recommended Tracks: “A List Of Things I Can’t Handle,” “I Think I Broke It” and “Swirling”
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