Hawaiian-based quartet Olivia the Band offers a rehash of the same trite clichÇs in the pop-punk style.
The Oahu natives say they are trying to convey a message, but the lyrics have no substance. For all their good intentions, they fail to say anything meaningful, and their self-titled debut album is unfortunately laughable. Their purpose is lost under hollow sentiment and too many bland, ambiguous statements.
Musically, Olivia the Band is a blatant Blink-182 rip-off, a fourth-rate Bowling for Soup. It is a disgracefully unoriginal attempt to contribute to a genre grossly oversaturated.
The religious angle of the band's music lends no depth or authenticity to the album. There are many gifted and entertaining artists in the pop-punk genre such as Green Day and the Offspring, but there is absolutely no evidence of individuality in this particular band. It lacks anything to distinguish it from the multitudes of generic bands that have jumped on the pop-punk bandwagon.
"Heaven" is a plodding, meandering prayer, a contrived song typical of the usually cringe-worthy product of a pop-punk band trying to do a soft ballad.
The majority of the songs follow the same structure, chunky three-note power chords with repetitive drums. The first single "Shut It Out" follows this form to a tee, thus making it increasingly difficult to differentiate one song from another.
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The artwork on the album is the most uninspiring design ever published. We are treated to the sight of four clone-like, pearly-toothed nonentities plastered with smiles from toothpaste ads. Appearances shouldn't matter, but the featureless photographs of the band correspond with its lackluster music.
What the band attempted to accomplish with such a lukewarm approach is difficult to fathom. Maybe it was truly lost for ideas or simply trying an exaggerated "less is more" strategy. The end result is, frankly, crap.
The band decided on its name as a symbol of remembrance for guitarist Justin Abilla's younger sister, a heartwarming gesture. The band must not have been as inspired when wondering what to name its album. Olivia the Band seemed adequate enough.
The boldness of such a left-field album name is reflective of the mediocrity of the band.
The astounding lack of originality and apparent lack of effort put into this album give rise to the suspicion that Olivia the Band is simply attempting to cash in on the moderate commercial success of Christian rock groups such as P.O.D.
But whereas its predecessors produced good music, such as the hit single "Alive," Olivia the Band fails to add any personal quality to the music.
Olivia the Band's music would be aptly described as nonsense. It is an insult to the instruments it was recorded with.
Either Olivia is trying to be a carpetbagger of Christian rock or its members are simply terrible musicians.
Regardless, drunken frat boys singing the "Lobo Howl" after a party have more talent and character than this abomination of an album.
