The Starting Line
With Hopes of Starting Over
Drive-Thru
Green Day was the first. Blink 182 followed. New Found Glory was next. Now comes the latest heir to the pop-punk favorite title – The Starting Line and their debut EP, With Hopes of Starting Over. Singer Ken Vasoli has the same distinct whines made famous by Tom Delonge from Blink 182 and Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory. The melodies strummed by guitarists Matt Watt and Mike Golla are not particularly ground-breaking, but there is something about The Starting Line that is different – something that makes you listen to their album on “repeat.” Maybe it is the desperation in Ken’s voice or maybe it is the mere fact that it is hard to resist a band who covers the classic ’80s hit, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
With Hopes of Starting Over is a break from the recent trend of “nu-metal.” It is not a complicated album; you can listen without feeling compelled to philosophize on worldly issues. Ken’s lyrics are unpretentious, with simple lines like: “Please don’t leave me without saying goodbye/As weekdays and weekdays unwind I’ll be found staring back in time,” pretty much anyone can relate.
With Hopes of Starting Over does not sound different than any other pop-punk album, which is not necessarily always a bad thing. The Starting Line are good at what they do. The only disappointment was that their album was too short. This is a problem sometimes with EPs (especially in this instance); they tease, offering a sampling of something good, leaving you wanting for something more.
The Starting Line: http://www.startinglinerock.com
