Artist Vs Poet - 'Artist Vs Poet'

Hey kids! Ya like fun doncha? Try slamming down some Artist Vs Poet, the new EP from *SLAM! BANG! POW!* Artist Vs Poet! Fearless Records, the label that gave you Punk Goes Ragtime, Punk Goes Fast Food Jingles, and Punk Goes French New Wave Film Scores 1959-1969 Volume Trois, presents this Texan pop act in the vein of All Time Low and Fight Fair. These guys set themselves apart with songs about girls, nasally vocals, and a really brightly colored album cover. It’s totes awesome, kids! KIDS?! LOOK AT ME!

All over-the-top sarcasm aside, Artist Vs Poet dabbles in ultra-clean power pop masquerading as pop punk. Kenny Vassoli-esque vocals and touches of electronica color up some otherwise drab arrangements, spit-shined by Mike Green (Paramore, Set Your Goals, and, uh, Paris Hilton). Dude’s had a big hand in the next generation of pop punk, which in a way hurts the band. Artist Vs Poet sounds like Paramore without the pipes, hooks, or relative “umph,” something made even more apparent thanks to the guy who helmed All We Know is Falling.

Even by earnest mallpunk standards, Artist Vs Poet (a.k.a. Quadrilateral Vs Square, a.k.a Thing Vs More Specific Thing) is bland, bearing more in common with the Click Five and Tinted Windows than they’d probably care to admit. If there’s such a thing as anti-Orgcore (clean production/vocals, cookie cutter angsty lyrics, and not sounding like the Lawrence Arms at all), surely this must be it.