New Year’s Day
My Dear
TVT
Like an old episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” New Year’s Day may not be high quality art, but there something appealing about the quality of sugar that they offer. They’re not working with the best script, there’s nothing bold or challenging about their music, but just like I get pulled into the drama of Brenda and Dylan I find a groove within this band’s debut disc, My Dear, and allow it to sink in.
Without bringing the entire focus onto the fact that the vocalist is a girl (and a pretty damn cute one at that), it must be pointed out that it is the Gwen Stefani quality in Ashley Costello’s voice that makes the hooks hook. Her lyrics are journal scrawls (“I’m be home soon/ to sleep with you/ Driving down those endless roads/ My compass is your heart that guides me home” – from “Temecula Sunrise”), and musically this band is straight up Fall Out Boy meets Angels & Airwaves, but the charm of Costello is undeniable.
Right here is your introduction to this year’s breakthrough teenage band. You will see this band (this girl) on all of the magazine covers, and I would even go as far to predict a No Doubt-like hiatus for Ash Costello’s solo album in the future. Give this band a couple more albums of good, fun, breakup power pop, and then let the solo career bloom.
Songs for your iPod: “You’ll Only Make It Worse,” “Part Time Love” and “Brilliant Lies” (that last song has lyrics penned by Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre).
TVT Records: http://www.tvtrecords.com
