Flicker Records' pop/punk trio, Eleventyseven, quickly became one of the top bands in their genre when they released their debut album ...And The Land of Fake Believe in early 2006. This year, Matt, Caleb and Jonathan are letting everyone know that the country is not enough, by going on a Galactic Conquest. And it's simply stellar.
The overall theme here is hope. Some songs talk about life's trials and disappointments, but then refer back to the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us. In "Happiness," vocalist Matt Langston writes about man's desires that are supposed to satisfy but never do. He describes an old girlfriend he had, who just left him empty in the end until he called out to God, "Happiness broke my heart but You caught all the pieces, I thought that I found it all but Your love is so much deeper, even though my life's a mess, I love You more than happiness." "It's Beautiful" is the obligatory soft acoustic song that seems to be mandatory for any pop/punk album, but is also a worshipful song about how can God can "turn mistakes to miracles the way that You still love me after all." A couple songs later is "Feel OK," when Langston reminds us that "I don't have to feel okay to be okay."
In the midst of those, we get songs like "Retail Value," another brilliantly catchy song with beautiful synths, a tribute to the guys' favorite late night talk show host Conan O'Brien in "Conan" (which made me laugh when he said "I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but you're the only show that still redeems your network"), "12 Step Programs," and the incredibly dance-y and infectious "Galaxies Collide," bearing a sound you'd expect to find in a video game.
The only low point on Galactic Conquest is "Fight To Save Your Life," which doesn't seem to be put together very well. Galactic Conquest is fun, upbeat, catchy, and a lot more synth-laden than the previous album. And the synths are done in a way where they get stuck in your head and you can't get enough of it. The rest of the music is your typical pop/punk, but it's some of the best you can find in the genre. Altogether, the sound might be comparable to a mix of New Found Glory and Hellogoodbye, with perhaps even a little Joy Electric thrown in on the last track, which is just a funky techno beat with an automated voice repeating the phrase "Starship Unicorn" (It's a hidden track though, so stick around after the outro to hear it).
Galactic Conquest just might be one of the highlights of 2007. If you've seen their live show, you will see why this new style seems very fitting for them: fun and upbeat music to match a fun and upbeat stage performance. I'll be looking forward to what these guys will do next.
