Killing Time by Bayside

Killing Time by Bayside
Label: Wind-Up Records
Released February 22nd, 2011
ASIN: B004I1WIX4

Plot Summary: Bayside are a rock quartet from Queens, New York. Led by Anthony Raineri, they are best described as a pop-punk band with metal-inspired guitars. Killing Time is their fifth full-length album. Bayside's current album has been compared to rock opuses such as American Idiot by Green Day for its sweeping melodies and arena-like guitar work. The Queens quartet have been picking up steam in major media outlets and it looks as if their fifth full-length may be their ticket to radio play and mainstream success.

Critical Analysis: When I pick up a Bayside album, I immediately know what to expect. Raineri's unique singing voice is one. It can only be described as nasally and emotive without being grating in any way. As with past albums, he manages to take personal problems in his life such as divorcing his wife and writing clever, relatable lyrics about them. In "The Wrong Way," he sings mercilessly, "You're the type of girl who puts on cyanide perfume/Then asks for kisses on the neck from every boy in the room/So tell me now how you find yourself at the bottom of a bottle in a bar /And how your reflection reacts to you and your new scars."

Another great aspect of a Bayside album is guitarist Jack O'Shea's impressive licks and riffs. Bayside songs are often chock full of Raineri's catchy vocal hooks intertwined with O'Shea's guitar solos and licks that tie each aspect of the song together beautifully. Bayside do, however, break up their song writing formula with the ballad "On Love, On Life." The song starts with quiet piano and Raineri's soft voice and eventually builds into a full on ballad with the rest of the band. It shows growth musically and from a songwriting perspective.

Bayside's Killing Time is a ten song thirty minute solid album. From front to back, there are no filler tracks and it shows that Bayside are becoming a band to watch in the future. With catchy hooks, relatable lyrics, and impressive guitar work, they are much much more than just a pop-punk band.

Reader's Annotation: With their fifth full-length album, Bayside have grown into a rock band that puts out solid and cohesive records regularly with wide appeal.

Author Information: The most affecting event in the life of Bayside was easily the loss of their drummer as a result of a van crash on tour. As a result, Raineri released an acoustic album with the touching song "Winter" dedicated to him. Early in their career, Bayside flourished on Victory Records and have continued with success jumping from label to label. With the positive reviews of Killing Time rolling in, it's only a matter of time before Bayside get noticed by mainstream media.

Source: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/bayside-biography/9ca484476672d45848256d29001f3fbc

Genre: rock, punk, pop-punk

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Reading Level: 14 and up

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why I included this title: Considering their relative obscurity, Bayside write amazingly catchy, likable, and relatable songs. Raineri writes songs about relationships that could appeal to teens and adults alike. I included this title because it is an album that teens would very likely enjoy but would be unlikely to already know about, they would get the benefit and joy of discovery.