Breakup Society lead singer Ed Masley sings about something we all have thought about. The fear of a life wasted as a “failure” and an obsession with celebrity envy. Sounding a lot like the Vandalias meets Michael Shelley, “Nobody Likes a Winner” stretches the theme around 14 songs. And most of the tunes are upbeat with great power pop hooks and layers of harmonies. The title track opens with the energy of a classic Replacements song. This is followed by a real nice standout “How Failure Saved Me From Myself,” which emerges as a repeatable dirge that shows how we are defined by our failures even more than our success. The anthemic “Strictly Biological Heart” has pleasing orchestral touches that compliment the hopeful lyrics. The “13th Angry Man” doles out some Cheap Trick meets Elvis Costello energy about an angry guy who blames everyone for his lifes troubles, including a suffering wife. Some of the songs aren’t always that memorable, and some editing may have made this album a little better. Thankfully, there are plenty of gems here, like “By a Thread” a tale of a high school reunion and eternal optimism. Included is my favorite track, “I Didn’t Mean to Wreck Your Day” – with a killer hook and amazingly clean arrangement. This is definitely worthy of your ipod list.
The Breakup Society site | My Space | Kool Kat Musik
Listen to “This Little Tragedy”