Album Review: ‘5 Seconds of Summer’ by 5 Seconds of Summer

Keely Chisholm ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

5 Seconds of Summer have had quite the year, and it’s only halfway over. The Australian pop-punk band are currently opening for British-Irish boyband One Direction, which might lead some to think the sounds are similar. Comprised of Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin, the boys establish themselves as more than just another band of boys on their self-titled album 5SOS.

Influenced by All Time Low, Sum 41, and Green Day, the band incorporates elements of pop, rock, and a bit of punk into the album, making for an upbeat but decidedly non-bubbly sound. Despite having Hemmings as the lead singer, all four members contribute vocals to the album.

“She Looks So Perfect” is the leading track, and an apt one. This song brought 5SOS wider exposure and radio play where they were previously unknown. The next three, “Don’t Stop,” “Good Girls,” and “Kiss Me Kiss Me” keep the mood afloat with a peppy, guitar-heavy flow. They’re the kind of songs that you might sing while dancing around your room, or in the shower when you think no one is listening.

Now that the youngest member of the band is eighteen, the track “18” is a bit irrelevant. The band sings about the frustration of being too young to do the things they want to do (which happen to be drink and date older girls), but don’t worry, they’re “not saying [they] want be Charlie Sheen.”

The next two tracks, “Everything I Didn’t Say” and “Beside You,” take a break from the hopeful romance of the beginning of the album, with the lyrics taking a turn for the wistful.

“End Up Here” picks the album up again with a belted chorus that’s almost close to a shout, followed by “Long Way Home,” which has an opening reminiscent of Katy Perry’s “Roar.” “Heartbreak Girl” brings back the wistfulness, with the band singing about yearning to be more than just the best friend.

“Lost Boy” and “Amnesia” close off the album with yet more longing. “Amnesia,” with the soft acoustic guitar picking throughout, is the quietest song on the album. It’s a calming end sound-wise, but for those who don’t like to end albums with less-than-uplifting tracks, the four bonus tracks on the deluxe edition may be worth the money.

Lyrically, there isn’t much variety—most of the songs are about romance and girls. A few particularly poetic lines here and there do stick out, but many of them are lost. Being eighteen, nineteen, and twenty though, there is definitely room for growth in future endeavors.

Overall, the album is a solid debut, and sets 5 Seconds of Summer up for a promising future as a pop-punk group. The band will be touring North America with One Direction from August till October.