June 14th, 2012 
Grace Duffy 
Artist: Boardroom Heroes
Album: Another Year
Genre: Punk/pop-punk
Label: Sinking Ship Records
One of these lads looks more than a little like Zachary Quinto, and that’s not the only thing about them that’ll make you think of someone else. Another Year has plenty of flair and a youthful, irreverent vibe more consistent with the slew of pop-punk bands that impressed a decade ago, before it all went to hell. Unfortunately however, there is more than a touch of today’s identikit to this band. Their songs have spark and they’re consistently upbeat and enjoyable, but they’re chipped off a more familiar block. There’s nostalgic appeal for anyone who grew up on the likes of Blink 182, Sum 41, or Bowling for Soup, but otherwise it’s nothing particularly special. Indeed, as the album progresses, it starts to feel less like a charming throwback to those fateful days, but a drearily obvious attempt at recreating them. For an album that was good but far from brilliant to begin with, this lessens the appeal and makes it feel forced and tiresome. There is, more than likely, plenty to love here for purists and enthusiasts of the genre but Another Year ticks every box so slavishly that it loses character of its own and leaves barely a mark.
On the good side however, there is precious little in the way of woe-is-me self-indulgence or the similarly childish lyrics that tend to underpin this kind of music. It can, at times, be a little darker, a bit more adventurous and appealing, though it does so through the filter of something so familiar that its subtler charms are barely noticeable. It veers from a more old-school style to something filler too often, so that the album feels tired and overdone by the time it ends. “Acceptance” is an underwhelming opener, for instance, which despite its liveliness and bouncing rhythms doesn’t really capture the imagination. “Paradise” is far more infectious, laying its inspirations out cleanly and upping the tempo for something spirited and engaging. “Elephant” is also a better effort, brisk and fuller with plenty of bravado in the singing style. It won’t linger in my memory for long, but for those more partial to the genre there’s plenty of fun-loving energy to embrace.
“City Song” is an excellent tribute to yesteryear. It’s relentless and eager, hurtling breathlessly through its hooks and riffs and incorporating more than a touch of nostalgic affection. However, the album seems to go downhill thereafter. It loses some of this early promise and becomes too fixated with recreating a specific sound, so that tracks such as “Empty Men” and “Pieces” feel too inorganic. Others, such as “Not Hesitating,” open well before descending into piecemeal stereotypes. The defined bass line and brooding guitars that open the latter are good, but when it launches into a thunderous clash of vocals and music for the chorus it folds into something more obvious. The unpredictability of the track makes it slightly more interesting but the well-worn path of the chorus and main body make it into more of the same, with decorative add-ons.
“Noise Heard Backwards” is roving and determined, distinguishing itself only in that there’s a hint of something more emotional in the lyrics. There could be some isolated, tiny distinction in the instruments but it’s not enough to make the song stand out. “Another Year” is hopelessly generic, ending the album on a so-so, so-standard flourish. The final minute or so offers some respite as everything cools down for a quiet, pensive ending, but it doesn’t exactly allow the album to go out on a high otherwise. “Navigator” would have fared better – it sounds heavier than the others somehow, and infused with something darker and rawer. The drums are exhaustingly predictable but the harmonies are good and the vocals, in line with the hints of something more heartfelt, are tempered. Were the band to take the more impressive touches of songs such as this and develop them a little, it could surely find a way to separate itself from its inspirations. The problem seems to be that the band wears them too vividly on its sleeve, so that Another Year never quite finds a niche of its own.
Boardroom Heroes certainly seem capable of great things, and will doubtless find a willing audience with this well-trodden path. For more widespread appeal however, they would do well to separate aspiration from inspiration, and use their skills to put together something a bit bolder.
SCORE: 6/10
Review written by Grace Duffy
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