The New Frontiers - Mending

the New Frontiers - Black Lungs

the New Frontiers - Strangers

For some reason you’re not ever supposed to “mess with” Texas. After hearing Dallas-based musicians the New Frontiers’ album Mending, I wonder why you’d ever want to in the first place.  Everything about the New Frontiers is so polished and clean-cut that you could invite them over to eat dinner with your parents tonight and your folks’ll just love ‘em. Mending features 11 songs, all of which could find their way onto episodes of Smallville or whatever the hell the kids are into these days. I’m not saying it’s not mature, I’m just saying it really lacks balls.

The songs on Mending are mostly tear-filled sing-alongs and bittersweet ballads, but definitely more sweet than bitter. I’d say this is what John Mayer would sound like with a slightly more mature sound (I’m trying not to grin right now), or an even more radio-friendly Goo Goo Dolls without any history of drug abuse. Mending is one of those albums that utterly demands you to sing along, right now! In fact, I bet your girlfriend is already singing along to it, go check…I’ll wait.

I wasn’t fascinated by this album. It seemed too familiar to me…too wishy-washy.  Every good rock artist must take certain risks with their music, and while Mending seems to be have crafted with a lot of care and sincerity, it is streamlined for commercial distribution and universal appeal. I really think people are gonna eat this shit up…teenage girls, mainly, and maybe certain teenage boys who pick up guitars just to get the teenage girls.  If more and more people were exposed to Mending (which they probably will be), I’d be in the minority of not praising this album. I’d be really surprised if the New Frontiers aren’t able to crack the music industry’s code with this one.

Buy Mending through Amazon