The Cool KidsLe sigh. I really had high hopes for this album. To be honest, I wasn’t even aware The Cool Kids had released an album until my insomnia induced internet surfing pointed it out to me. Based on their EP, The Bake Sale, I would’ve considered myself a Cool Kids fan, in fact, I claimed on several occasions that I was, even declared it on Facebook by ‘Like’-ing them (which is the only way to declare something officially), but now, with the release of When Fish Ride Bicycles, I’m not so sure.
Unlike it’s predecessor, When Fish Ride Bicycles lacks in...well, it just lacks. It’s mediocre at best. There does not appear to be a single track on the album that stands out to me. Truthfully, the beats are still distinctly The Cool Kids-esque, but completely toned down (which is what you get for signing on Pharrel as your producer, err, cough, ahem), which, I guess, had a direct affect on the writing? And, yes, I am posing that as a question because I honestly have no ides. Being that I obviously don’t know the boys (and most likely never will), I can’t even begin to fathom what happened. Was The Bake Sale EP just a fluke? I could’ve sworn there was exceptionality in this duo. With references in their lyrics to N.W.A. and even to their own tracks back and forth on the EP AAAND rhymes like “...just an F.Y.I., I’m F-L-Y, and for those who can’t spell I’m a pretty swell guy...” and “What it is, what it is, come check the noise, it’s the new black version of the Beastie Boys. Chuck-ie, Mikey, some dudes don’t like me. Don’t care. I’m dope, they lame, so bite me.”; I believed them! But maybe I was fooled.
The whole of When Fish Ride Bycicles album seems slowed down, almost muted. I just can’t seem to get behind any of it. If you’re still curious, even after this gloooowing review, I suppose the tracks you should check out are Sour Apples (featuring Travis Barker), Swimsuits (featuring Mayer Hawthorne), and Roll Call (featuring Asher Roth, Chip Tha Rippa, and Boldy James). They would be the catchiest tracks on the album. Sour Apples sounds most like a Cool Kids track with guest star Travis Barker (of Blink 182 and mad skillz fame) backing on drums. I’m not a huge Barker fan (to be honest, I find him a bit overrated, dun dun dun) but he definitely adds the bounce it needs, without over shinning the lyric work. Next up is Swimsuits; catchy enough, but nothing special. And, finally, Roll Call; actually, one of my least favourite tracks on the album, but should be checked out for the lyric work that Asher Roth puts in. I feel like Roth got written off because of I Love College, a single release set up to make him a one hit wonder, and people seemed lumped him in as the next Eminem simply because the boy is white. Well, the kid’s got his own style and skill, and more people need to know about it.
So, what have I learned form this experience? You can’t assume you’re going to like the next release from an artist even though you feel like you’ve gotten to know them so well over the years (27 plays of The Bake Sale EP on the iTunes, not including the iPod or the reset when I switched computers), but I guess I should’ve learned that by now, I have been buying my own music for almost 19 years. Shit happens.
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