Rock Kills Kid

Although the band has been known to run with the generic pop-punk crowd, Rock Kills Kid is anything but. Musically, their emotions seem deeper and more sincere than many of their counterparts. Although the lyrical message is similar to many pop-punk acts (relationships of the male/female variety, etc.), the lyrics seem to be on a whole other plane, with more richness and much more thought-out on the whole. "Everything to Me" shows the band's college rock influence, which consistently vies for attention in the musical structure. Although a slower tune, it does so with no sappiness and instead comes across as quite authentic. The majority of the other songs are upbeat without losing their hold on maturity. Jeff Tucker's vocals are strong and the background vocals kick in at all the appropriate parts. Much of the success here can be attributed to Cameron Webb's knowledgeable production skills. Having worked with such acts as Park and Fairview, Webb is familiar with this genre of music and has made it work in the past. Nonetheless, the band certainly is smart for having gone with such a prolific producer in the first place. While the release has only six songs, each one certainly packs a punch and is filled with hooks galore. If the dreadful trendiness with pop-punk offers up anything worthwhile, it'll be an act such as this.