The Populars — The Vindicator LP

Identity crisis can be a bitch. Such is the case for The Populars' most recent release The Vindicator. The band's plight falls in the muddled transition between musical styles in each of their songs. "Megalove" opens as a typical power pop song with hard-hitting lyrics and guitar chords, yet in a flash morphs into a fluffy disco tune. Opening track, "Hurry Up And Die" is just as jumbled. The morbid death wish lyrics seem out of place over sugar-y guitar riffs. The Populars obviously want to make a hard rock album, but they can't seem to harness the right identity to rock out.