Artist: Army Of Freshmen
Album: Beg. Borrow. Steal
Label: 33rd Street Records
Tracks: 13
Length: 38:06
Review by: Phil Nichols

Just after graduating from high school, singer Chris Jay departed on a cross-country journey to find people with whom he could start a band. He found just the people he was looking for at an open mic in Ventura, California. Army of Freshmen was born. Six years, 500 shows (with the likes of Good Charlotte, AFI, The Ataris, et cetera), and many demos (and a full-length) later, the band is still going strong. After recently signing to 33rd Street Records (owned by Tower Records), Army of Freshmen has now released their major label debut, Beg.Borrow.Steal.

Now that we have all of the mandatory biographical information out of the way, let's talk about what Beg.Borrow.Steal. has to offer. Musically, this album was made to be catchy. You don't need to listen to it a few times through and let it grow on you; it is instantly accessible. Each song is constructed with two dueling keyboards playing over a layer of three-chord pop-punk riffage, while the vocals shift from rapping/singing in the verses to a nasal crooning on choruses. The songs all follow that same format: if you like one, you will like them all. That said, if you have grown weary of the overabundance of derivative pop-punk acts, be warned: Army of Freshmen is not much more distinctive than any of the similar bands that you will hear on the radio. They are different in the same way that Yellowcard is different: they have a less common instrument that takes the place of a lead guitar (Yellowcard has a violin; Army of Freshmen has keyboards). Sure, the production is great and the songs are catchy, but there really isn't a lot of diversity (or substance, for that matter) that will keep you coming back for multiple listens.

Beg.Borrow.Steal. was created to be catchy, and it succeeds. But there is little more than that. If you are a fan of The Reunion Show or Motion City Soundtrack then you will most likely find some songs here that you will enjoy. But if you are looking for music with substance that you will not bore you with repeated listens, then this is probably not what you are looking for.