The Bigger Lights
This review was originally posted on Nerd Lives.
[rating:5.5/10]
First things first… Fiction Fever is a generic pop punk EP, no quips about it… but this band reeks of TRL Top 40 fame, in a good way. Like some bands that I am often too quick to dismiss in this genre (Good Charlotte, Bowling for Soup, and Simple Pan), these kids are a tight unit that doesn’t miss a beat. Production quality, palatable sound, and the right look are all essential ingredients to marketing this type of music to the masses. The Bigger Lights possess all of these ingredients in abundance.
Much of my distaste for what I call “generic pop punk” is strictly elitism. I was a pop punk loving teeny bopper not too long ago, so why should I look down on others for being so. Did I or did I not grow up going to see Jersey staples like Midtown and The Youth Ahead? Did I or did I not spend my summers at Warped Tour and Blink 182 concerts? Who am I to judge? In fact, am I simply a self-loathing closet pop punk fiend to this day? Quite possibly.
Based on their photo, I expect the average age of the band members to be approximately 17-18. If my assumptions are correct, these kids play damn well for being so young. The songs are well written and well produced, and even include the gratuitous guitar solo at times. Putting all elitism, self-loathing, and preconceived notions aside, Fiction Fever plays like the days when New Found Glory was still good and opening for the likes of Piebald and Boy Sets Fire. Sure, it’s sugarcoated and bubbly, but it’s good.
6 songs of pop punk goodness, each with it’s own feel… that’s what Fiction Fever is. The Bigger Lights’ debut paints them as a band wise beyond their years, nailing the formula for success down early. My 16 year old self would have given this EP a 7 or 8 our of 10, but in my late 20’s 5 and 1/2 is all I can give. Would I listen to this over much of the other crap in the radio punk genre? Most definitely. Is it the CD I chose to pop in my CD player as home? Not likely. But if you are yearning for that next Good Charlotte release and need something to keep your hunger at bay, this is a great buy.
either way, we can drive all night... 
Oh man, I almost forgot about Midtown. I didn’t put it together until today that Gabe is now in Cobra Starship who did that song for Snakes on a Plane
Gabe was a good dude… probably still is. I think he was the first guy to get Radway drunk!