Call The Cops – Call The Cops – Review

Release Date: June 22nd, 2010
Record Label: Myspace Records
Genre: Electro Pop Rock

Straight off the forward momentum that Call The Cops received after they released their 2009 EP “Motion Sickness,” such as signing to Myspace Records, and actually finding a reason to be on websites such as Buzznet and iLike (their newly acquired fans), I was quite eager to take a listen to their latest full-length effort. Sure the idea of a self-titled release and the pop rock genre in general has gotten a little old, but I was certain that their 81,000+ Myspace fans happened to know something that I didn’t yet.

Ever since the explosion of electronic-tinged pop rock brought to you recently by groups like Forever The Sickest Kids and Boys Like  Girls everyone and their mothers has signed similar bands to stay relevant in the trend. I say trend because most bands picked up at that point are groups that fit the profile but may not have unimportant things like relatable lyrics, melody filled vocals, and all-around infectious pop rock. Call The Cops has come a little late to party, but they certainly get an B+ for effort. Starting with producer Ian Kirkpatrick (Plain White T’s, Neon Trees), who takes this newly formed band and lays down a crisp tech production for the abundant keys and programming.

The bands girl-centric lyrics proliferate this efforts innards and while they are quite cliche on paper, the layered vocal performance of Justin and Will save me from digging up old memories of the hundreds of regretful teenage angst-filled efforts from bands of the past. What does have me digging up old efforts is how familiar some of the tracks on “Call The Cops” sound to early adopters of the genre. For instance how “White Dress” sounds exactly like 3Oh!3, complete with repetitious quasi-rap pop and a female backing vocals ala Katy Perry. Or how you will do a double take on “Get Up Or Get Down” for its similarities with Boys Like Girls radio hit “Love Drunk,” right down to the melody in the chorus. And finally the “arcadeXcore” feel of “Shot Me Down,” akin to Karate High School (minus the vigorous shouting). Now, I’m not claiming plagiarism because these are only a few tracks, and many tracks on this self-titled release feel addictively fresh, but those musically experienced enough to notice it might feel a bit soured.

It’s a lot like those painting virtuosos that paint perfect duplicates of famous works to make money or to challenge the publics gullibility. Call The Cops has a tendency to sound like all of your favorite electro pop rock bands, partially because they imitate a lot of them, but in doing so has established themselves as a group that can hang with the big boys seamlessly. The bands stand out tracks, like the passionate indie-esque track “Love Like Novocaine” are worth more than a second glance. Call The Cops have made a highly marketable record that is not only enormously catchy but also lacks annoying filler– even if it takes no steps from an already heavily trafficked path. ~Staff

Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:
1. Like It Like That
2. So Over You
3. White Dress
4. Get Up Or Get Down
5. Shot Me Down 
6. Room 410
7. Summer Ending To A Winter Night
8. Love Like Novocaine
9. I Knew It Wasn’t Love (Girls)
10. Weightless
11 Crash