REVIEW: Rixton’s debut album is a good building-block

By Dylan Lee,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Rixton after performing at the Click 98.9 New Artist Showcase at the Seattle Hard Rock Cafe. Photo courtesy of  Cliff Johnson via Wikimedia Commons.
Rixton after performing at the Click 98.9 New Artist Showcase at the Seattle Hard Rock Cafe. Photo courtesy of Cliff Johnson via Wikimedia Commons.

The charming boy band from across the pond, Rixton, released its long-awaited debut album. The world has been on the edge of its seat as ever since Rixton’s first single, “Me and my Broken Heart”, hit number one on the Billboard Charts in the UK.

Rixton, who is signed with Scooter Braun’s label SB Projects, has taken the stage with international pop star Justin Bieber already and is scheduled to open for Ariana Grande during her upcoming Honeymoon tour. Their debut studio album is a spot-on hit in some places and a letdown in others, culminating in an album that is a solid start to what is sure to be a great career in music for this upcoming band.

 

  1. Let the Road

The first song shares the name of the album in its entirety, and fittingly so, because it sets the tone for the project very accurately. From start to finish, the song avoids much of the repetitiveness that plagues modern pop music today, and is a refreshing harmony that speaks to the listener.

 

  1. Wait on me

Although somewhat repetitive at times, the song is a real radio-ready hit that surely will take its turn among the popular songs of 2015 sooner or later. The song, which speaks about lost love and missing old loves, has a sad message that compliments its upbeat rhythm in a mysterious yet surprisingly pleasant way.

 

  1. Appreciated

This song is a combines very high-quality live instruments, especially the guitar at the beginning, with deep lyrics. Adding to the overall uplifting theme of the album, “Appreciated” talks about how everyone is appreciated and a certain somebody is appreciated for they are and what they do.

 

  1. Beautiful Excuses

This follow up to the positive and loving “Appreciates” is more of a melancholy song, but with multiple great verses giving way to a bit of a sad choruses, it successfully changes the mood from positive to sad with only one song. The lyrics “What makes and angel fall in love/What makes a good man turn and run” are as thought-provoking as they are lovely.

 

  1. Me and my Broken Heart

The song that nearly everyone has heard and has already been played on the radio all over the world for months now is getting a bit old at this point. The repetitive lyrics and overused beat has already outworn its welcome and its significant replay value. This is where the album starts to take a bit of a downturn before swinging right back into gear for the last few tracks.

 

  1. Hotel Ceiling

The softly-sung and sad tune is a heartbreaker in more ways than one. Just when this album could have taken a turn toward becoming excellent by wrapping up with a strong second half, it takes a downturn in terms of its boring, repetitive lyrics and whiny tone.

 

  1. I Like Girls

A deep, thoughtful, brooding album up until this point, at least lyrically, the mood is entirely ruined by “I Like Girls” a man stating the obvious is hardly a song, and the lyrics are simple to the point where they could have been written by a second-grader just discovering that he, too, likes girls. Overall a song more pointless than a circle and more shallow than a kitty pool during the drought.

 

  1. Speakerphone

The second pointless song in a row, the lyrics talk about the wild lifestyle of the band members and in an uncatchy and annoying way no less. Those few lyrics in this song that could maybe be salvaged with a different beat are few and far between, and in the end the song ends up sounding whiny. Although faced with some close competition, this is in the running for worst track on the album.

 

  1. We all Want the Same Thing

This funky beat gets the album back on track, literally. The unbelievably catchy and happy song gets the mood that was established in the first few songs right back into the album.

 

  1. Whole

In the final song on this album, Rixton really brings a sense of closure successfully to the collection. The opening lyrics, “When you wake up/And you find that I’m not there/Cry for me” really end the album on a very positive note. This song is what really turns this album from a so-so, off-and-on project into a respectable effort.

 


All in all, the album was a solid start and a great building point for the band. The blend of funky beats with classic guitar-based music with pop anthems works nicely in favor of the artists. This album is worth the buy and cause for plenty of excitement.

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