Artist: Just Surrender
Album: Of All We’ve Known
Label: Broken English
Tracks: 10
Length: 37:00
Review By: John Durkee

Just Surrender could also be called “band that sounds like Taking Back Sunday #2355.” As a typical pop emo band, this is THE trend. Record labels love these sort of bands, because they sell records, not because they’re great. To be fair, Just Surrender does it better than Taking Back Sunday and most of their imitators, but it’s like watching a re-make of a classic movie, no matter how you cut it, it’s just the same old thing.

There are a few standout tracks, but none that are really worth mentioning. The lyrics are also derivative as well. The vocals are just like every other pop emo band, with a high pitch and a vulnerable sound. In and of itself, that’s a pretty artsy idea, to sing in a weak and vulnerable way while using weak and vulnerable vocals… but it’s been done to the point that it’s lost its art and its meaning to the listener.

There’s nothing new in pop emo, and Just Surrender proves it. They do it better than most, and for that reason Of All We’ve Known is enjoyable at times, but just isn’t good enough to make it a memorable release.