Valencia, "We All Need a Reason to Believe"
Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Entertainment
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Reporter
Pop-punk is dead. Okay, so maybe that isn't as great or grand as the statement Nas made in 2007 about hip-hop, but it still applies here. When a genre is as overcrowded as pop-punk it is very easy for the cream of the crop to rocket to the top. We need a band that can breathe new life into pop-punk. Valencia is that band. Valencia is a pop-punk quintet hailing from Philadelphia that has just released their sophomore album-and major label debut-"We All Need a Reason to Believe" on Columbia Records. The band is made up of Shane Henderson on vocals, JD Perry and Brenden Walter on guitar, George Ciukurescu on bass and Maxim Soria on drums.
The band's 2005 debut album, "This Could Be a Possibility," was overall a good album, displaying themes and vibes that brought back memories of quality pop-punk, but "We All Need a Reason to Believe" takes the quintet's sound to the next level. Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid (We Are Scientists, Plain White T's), "We All Need a Reason to Believe" features 11 tracks that are fast, raw and pack an emotional punch the majority of the bands in the genre fail to generate.
This album is chock full of friendly songs about moving on while looking back on the past and then having to accept the changes. Like a wave crashing into the shore, "Better Be Prepared" kicks off the album with huge guitars mirroring big vocals from Henderson. It's a kick in the seat of your pants as you've just been buckled into the ride. "Holiday" is a catchy toe-tapper, as the dual guitar riffs from Walter and Perry anchor the track. The album title comes from this song's lyrics.
"Where Did You Go?" consists of a good beat and lyrical breakdown with melodic female backing vocals. Strings and bells blend beautifully in "Carry On," which channels early Ben Folds Five songs with rock-type ballads. "Safe to Say" has a nice punk-esqe sing along with an epic bass line. Another song that is ridiculously catchy and would be a killer pick for radio is "Listen Up," which features vocals by fellow Philadelphian Kenny Vastly of Person L and The Starting Line.
"All At Once" is a dramatic song mixed with Henderson's vocal delivery, which is absolutely perfect on this track; the vindication in his voice is sharp and enchanting. When the strings join the "whoa-ohs" and frantic riffs in the bridge, it is clear that this song will stay with the listener long after the song has ended. "Free" closes the album in huge fashion. Soria is unrelenting on the drum kit, as the track is full of energy and needlepoint guitar riffs. Once again, Henderson's vocals absolutely kill, as this final track is just the icing on the cake.
"We All Need a Reason to Believe" is a touching, brilliant and memorable ride that rightfully should launch Valencia to new heights. So maybe pop-punk isn't dead yet; as long as bands like Valencia are producing music we can always have hope that heart, passion, sweat and intensity will still be pouring out from the genre. "We All Need a Reason to Believe" is a great album; it can be light and heavy at the same, invoking a wide range of emotions during its 40-minute run time. Perhaps the genre has never been dead, and Valencia provides the reason for us to believe in it again.
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