After performing hundreds of gigs over the past few years, and building up a fanbase through utter dedication and respect for their fans, Room 94‘s debut album has arrived. Despite being currently unsigned, the pop/rock band’s catchy tunes have attracted great attention in the past few months, with a lot of hype surrounding ‘No Strings Attached‘ ever since its release was announced.
‘The Morning After‘ acted as a B-side demo to ‘Chasing The Summer‘ last year but it’s great to hear a re-worked and polished version as the first track on the album. The song is a catchy pop tune, and in true Room 94 style, is all about waking up and not having a clue about last night’s antics – a common occurrence for these boys, no doubt!
‘Superstar‘ follows – a track released last August. Its infectious hooks and bouncy melody is always a favourite at gigs and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit the album version makes me want to dance around just as much. ‘Kiss Me Like You Mean It‘ is more guitar-led, with a catchy chorus and is somewhat reminiscent of old Busted tunes. Next track ‘When I Was A Teenager‘, appears to be written retrospectively, despite the fact the boys still clearly enjoy the teenage lifestyle. Lyrics such as ‘All I wanted was a fake ID, so I could drink beer with my KFC’ – possibly the best line on the whole record – comically reflects their love for partying. Fifth track ‘One Night‘, about teenagers’ casual outlook on love, continues this light-hearted theme.
‘Come Calm Me Down‘ marks a turn in the direction of the album. It’s slightly more emotive in its lyrics, and the guitar instrumental gives it more of a rock edge than previous tracks. This heavier bassline is present in next song ‘We Came Here To Dance‘ – another fun tune which will undoubtedly be a crowd hit at the band’s live gigs.
Although most of the preceding tracks suggest one-night stands are on the agenda, ‘Dream Girl‘ is a rather cute song about meeting ‘The One’. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Room 94 album if none of the songs emanated their happy-go-lucky attitude, but this song certainly adds an element of depth not seen on preceding tracks.
Released as a single last year, ‘Chasing The Summer‘ is another catchy pop/rock tune, with its double meaning about finding a girl named Summer as well as wishing for some sun. This is juxtaposed with final track ‘Shine Your Light‘ which is a rather beautiful and atmospheric way to end the album. Arguably the best track on the record, it is certainly well-placed as the last song.
There’s no denying this debut album from the Room 94 boys is all about girls, booze and partying, but who can blame them for writing and performing songs about their three favourite things? The Lemon brothers – Kieran, Dean and Sean – plus best friend Kit Tanton, have produced a record that their energetic teenage fans are bound to love. This is definitely an album for partying or relaxing to this summer!
