Source: Album Artwork
A band is, essentially, a business. The goal is to make money, whether that’s implemented by the band themselves or imposed on them by their management. With this in mind, it always helps to have a ‘unique selling point’. Something that hasn’t been touched on before is always likely to turn heads and for ONE OK ROCK, it’s their nationality. Their true-blue pop punk style and sound may have you fooled that they hail from the US like their peers, but alt rockers are from nowhere other than Tokyo, Japan.
ONE OK ROCK debuted in their home country back in 2007, but it’s only in recent years that they’ve become more well known to music fans outside of Japan thanks to tours with the likes of All Time Low, Tonight Alive and even 5 Seconds Of Summer. Their latest album, Ambitions, is in fact their eighth full-length record release, but their first while signed to Fueled By Ramen and only their second to be recorded and produced in the US.
Featuring huge choruses and catchy melodies, this is ONE OK ROCK’s attempt to sugar-coat their sound and make it more “radio friendly”. This is no doubt good marketing to make sure it reaches as many of the right people as possible– in Japan, these guys play in arenas, so it makes sense that they’d like that to be a universal experience. ‘Taking Off‘, for example, was penned to be played on the largest of stages. It’s potential soars sky high, with gritty lyrics and an incredible hook.
The band wouldn’t be fully immersed in the world of American pop punk if they didn’t enlist the help of their friends, which is why it comes as no surprise when All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth makes an appearance on the track ‘Jaded‘. It’s a solid offering even with him taken out of the equation though, reminiscent of the pop punk that first reared its head in the 90’s and 00’s. 5 Seconds Of Summer also make an appearance later on in the album, lending their talents to the finale, ‘Take What You Want‘.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but pop punk never is. Subjectively speaking however, Ambitions is a cohesive album that has a lot to offer for the right kind of listener. For the teenage girl decked out in Glamour Kills and ‘Mrs Barakat’ as her Twitter bio, this record is pretty ideal.
