Band: Count Your Blessings
Title: Like Gum in Your Hair
Genre: Pop/Punk Rock
Label: Standby Records

Tracks:
1. Coming Back To You
2. The Way You Move
3. I’ll Drive
4. Fell For This
5. Sweet And Petite
6. Friday Night Alone
7. Tore Up
8. Take It Easy
9. Where I Want To Be
10. Sucker For Sweet Girls

The first time I listened to this album I began to wonder, “How have I never heard of this band?” Their style encompasses the style of pop punk rock that I fell in love with when I heard Blink 182 and A New Found Glory for the first time. Count Your Blessings is definitely a blessing, pun intended. This quintet from Waldorf, Maryland, the birthplace of Good Charlotte, brings catchy and hard-hitting lyrics backed by mosh pit ready instrumentals on their first full-length album, Like Gum In Your Hair. Think All Time Low plus another band member, and you’ve got Count Your Blessings.

The first track, “Coming Back To You” definitely sets the pace of the entire album. After a brief intro, the guitars come chugging in and the tempo speeds up. Instantly you can’t help but think of multiple songs from All Time Low especially since the lead vocalist, Judson Mattingly, sounds extremely similar to Alex Gaskarth. This track isn’t at all bad, but definitely should have been put later in the album.

“The Way You Move” should have been the first track off this album. The track starts strong with energy-filled riffs. Mattingly comes in belting lyrics about a girl who has caught the eye of guy, but thinks he’s not good enough and just happens to be seeing another man. He’s trying to convince the girl that now is just as good as any to make her move and leave the guy she’s currently with. You’ll so be singing this song after the few first listens; it’s a hit.

The album ends with “Sucker For Sweet Girls.” Out of all the songs on the album, this is the one that sort of doesn’t fit in. In no way do the guys give up the fast-paced guitar riffs featured in their previous tracks, but instead of continuing with their All Time Low-esque songs, they end with one similar to something off of Sum 41’s Does This Look Infected?. I’m not saying it’s a horrible song, I really do like it. But with keeping it familiar throughout the album, this misses the mark. This would have been a great start to a second full-length album.

Despite having missed the mark on the last track, Count Your Blessings still leaves a good feeling after you hear them. There’s no doubt that they titled the album correctly because the songs can easily get stuck in your head just like gum in your hair, and peanut butter will do little to get rid of them. These guys have great potential and I highly recommend everyone check them out.

*Written By: Kelsey Fales*
Grade: 9/10

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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