Every Avenue - Bad Habits Album Review

With their origins in Michigan in 2003, Every Avenue are a quintet who have played on the undercard to the likes of Boys Like Girls, All Time Low and Yellowcard. Also regulars on the Warped Tour, they now release their third album and will be touring the UK and Europe with We Are The In Crowd throughout April.

With guitar music (supposedly) at a low point the prospect of a punk-rock album being the kick-start of resurgence isn't brilliant - and this certainly isn't going to bring riffs back to the mainstream. However, what is provided by Every Avenue is a solid record from the genre, 'Tie Me Down' opening in fun style and 'There Tonight' a passable mid-tempo effort. 'Fall Apart' has the sort of bounce to please the kids at live shows and 'No One But You' sounds like it could have been from You Me At Six's top drawer. The inevitable ballad comes in the shape of 'Only Place I Call Home', featuring swooning strings wrapped around a simple piano riff and a truly soaring chorus. Get the lighters out, cuddle the person next to you; this is how this type of song should be done - unlike 'I Can't Not Love You'. More suited to a teen boy band, it shows how you shouldn't try for the same trick twice. Back to the rockier side of things 'Someday, Somehow' and 'Hit Me Where It Hurts The Most' are decent enough filler, but it means this collection is a couple of tracks short of being worth a strong recommendation.

Alex Lai