Artist Vs Poet

There is nothing subtle about local mall-punk outfit Artist Vs Poet’s latest offering, Favorite Fix. Every guitar on the record is over-processed, every vocal is pitch-corrected to perfection and every melody is a scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs sing-a-long.

But even though the music is mostly paralyzed with over-production, there are still some signs of life. The record is riddled with clever song intros such as the Miami Vice-like keyboards on the title track and the string quartet on “Unconscious Reality.” Meanwhile, the well-written chorus of “Car Crash” works its way into your head and stays there for days, and, during the hook on “We’re All the Same,” you forget that these guys are fresh out of their teens. That is, until you hear the chorus of “Adorable,” in which frontman Tarcy Thomason sings, “She’s adorable as hell/She’s got me begging on my knees/Now I’m so into her.”

OK, so the contest between artist and poet isn’t exactly the clash of the titans. There are some enjoyable moments on the album, but, like any sugary fix, it’s nice for a while—until it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.