2 out of 5

Label: 33rd Street Records

Producer: Angus Cooke

Army of Freshmen tear out of the gates on ‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’ with a ripping pop-punk zip of sharp guitar riffs and quick drum fills with a glorious layer of keys atop.  After a nice lead-in intro track, the group makes a toe-tapping, fist-pumping impression with ‘Uniforms,’ introducing the oddly pleasantly discordant juxtaposition of vocalist Chris Jay’s cranky, nasally singing with some group chorus harmonies and the constant shuffle of music beneath an always defining and notable keyboard line.  The lyrical matter sticking to school and teen stuff is acceptable for the genre, but the smart pop hooks that are apparent through the whole album plus some tracks that hint at depth beyond the normal fare – such as the straight-forward but heartfelt ‘Last Dance’ – butt up oddly against the youthful image and start to make the listen feel a tad uncomfortable.  And, as is the case with many groups in this scene, longevity is a toughie, since the songs can only bounce between a couple different styles before the listen gets rather staid, despite Ataris’ Angus Cooke giving the thing a really righteous poppy sheen, where every note and lil’ sprinkle of sound comes across brash and clear.

‘Beg’ is at its best when its fully working those odd combos – Chris half-rapping out some sputtered phrases while the rest of the group hums different lines, or a rough and short guitar lick that bristles while the keyboard does a pretty lil’ number – and smartly, those tracks are put at the beginning, middle and end of the disc, but the rest tends to blend together.  Not in the worst of ways… there’s talent here, and no doubt the songs are catchy, but the excitement of the sound definitely wears off already two songs in.