Artist: That’s Outrageous
Album: Teenage Scream
Genre: Partycore
Label: Rise

Before this review even begins, it must be said that you have to actually like the style of music That’s Outrageous! performs in order to really care about their presence on the national scene. Their music isn’t pushing the envelop and the lyrics probably won’t pull anyone back from the ledge, but they have crafted a very well produced party album that young fans of the hardcore/brocore genre will absolutely lose their minds over. It isn’t exactly Bach, but there is something here worth your time (if you are open minded enough to hear it).

There’s always an internal struggle when I hear an album like Teenage Scream. The part of me that has spent a decade in this industry and watched great talent go nowhere while quote/unquote “hacks” made their way to the national stage doesn’t want to love any album that doesn’t feel like it was created from the very depth of human emotion and experience. That part of me likes to believe music is meant to push society forward and while entertaining, also inspire and motivate masses to get off their asses and do something with their lives. However, there’s another part of me that just loves a great beat and something you can sing-along with regardless of your mood. Teenage Scream falls into the latter. From the rap-break of “Headshot At The Ballet Recital,” to the crooning-meets-dubstep bridge of “Is It 2012 Yet?,” and onward through the pop-ballad that closes the record, this is an album meant to entertain and at that it excels (but is that enough?).

Don’t get me wrong, That’s Outrageous have obviously worked hard at crafting this album, but I think we can all agree it would not hold a candle to, say, the latest work from Bon Iver. Where he creates these lush, melodic songs of great depth and metaphor, Teenage Scream plays more like the pains of growing up and heartache 101 set to hardcore party with your best friends. That’s not a bad thing, just different, and in the summer, it’s albums like Scream that people will want to hear. When winter comes, things may change, but for now, this album is going to slay.

Is that enough though? Is entertaining people with beats and riffs, just allowing them to escape for 30 minutes, enough to call something a “good record”? That isn’t something I can tell you. To be honest, no, I probably won’t be buying a copy of Teenage Scream when it arrives in stores July 19, but I can promise you A LOT of people will. If you need a hardcore-meets-party album to be the soundtrack of you Summer, this is it. Without a doubt, the most fun you’ll have with 808s and blast beats this season (if not the whole year).

Score: 8/10
Review written by: James Shotwell

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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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