Album Review: Runner Runner - Runner Runner

As a reviewer, I love being surprised. The surprise can come from any one of a number of things; from the catchiness of a hook to a complete 180 degree change-up in the style of music that a band plays. I like things to be fresh; to see things in a new light. Runner Runner’s debut self-titled LP has shone that new light on pop rock for me. It surprised me. Usually I’m the first one to dismiss bands like Runner runner, but I can’t help but love their self-titled effort.

Runner Runner craftily blends pop punk, synth laden pop music, and acoustic ballads that surprisingly work well together as an album. While a lot of the album is dance-centric, the latter half of the record with the more acoustic stuff is what really shines. After tracks loaded with bleeps and bloops like ‘Heart Attack’ more subdued tracks like ‘Hey Alli’, ‘Falling’ and ‘Life After You’ really sound great. That’s not to say the upbeat pop tracks aren’t good though; Tracks like ‘So Obvious’ and ‘Unstoppable’ will keep listeners coming back over and over.

The album isn’t perfect, though. The production is a little too shiny for my taste, and the effects on the vocals can become a little overbearing in some tracks, such as ‘Heart Attack’. The lyrics are on par with similar pop acts, but there isn’t anything here that would set them apart from their peers lyrically. The good news is that it’s a pop record, and it’s fun to listen to.

Overall, I really enjoyed Runner Runner’s debut album. It’s a great pop record that deserves listeners’ attention. It’s loaded with super catchy hooks, a little acoustic flair, straight forward pop tracks, synth pop, and more. The diversity of the tracks keeps listeners awaiting the surprises around every corne

3/5

'Runner Runner' by Runner Runner is available now through Capitol records/C. E. Music/MRV.

Runner Runner on MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.

Words by Landon Peterson