Galactic Conquest
Artist: Eleventyseven 
Label: Flicker Records
Length: 12/34:23 

Half Reliant K soundalike, and half soundtrack for "American Pie 15", Galactic Conquest combines synthesizers and a pop punk ethic to cram twelve songs into thirty-four minutes.  The computerized vocal effects get old after a while, but there are some bright spots here.

"Fight to Save Your Life" is almost 80's synthpop, featuring lots of harmonies, and, oddly, a chorus whose lead in is the same meter as the Olympic theme.  "How It Feels (to be Without You) is a song I want to like (and one I suspect younger listeners will like), but the computerized, digital vocals detract from the overall quality.  "Happiness" and "Retail Value" are power pop punk a la Green Day or Offspring.

Teen angst plays a big role here: "Feel OK" claims "I don't have to feel OK to be OK", and offers some hope behind its Goldfinger/Weird Al Yankovic soundtrack.  "12 Step Programs" note the fallacy in "trying to do this on my own".  "Conan" is about the talk show host (not the Schwarzenegger films).  

In a nutshell, if you like skateboards and comic books, and can get past the vocal shenanigans, here's your band.  Mall punks rejoice.

Brian A. Smith
15 July 2008