When The Starting Line first formed, they were just friends looking to play music live. They never really had aspirations of getting big, or making a lot of money, but just to play music. Even today as the band has reached a modest popularity on the strength of their sole EP, they are still all about playing music.
The EP itself is just another New Found Glory clone. The band really doesn’t do much in the way of “ground breaking material,” but they do improve on the standard. The songs on this EP, except for the last one, all have catchy guitar riffs, and high vocals. The whole appeal to this album goes for the general pop-punk crowd. It’s a sure bet that if you like Blink 182, New Found Glory, Fenix Tx, Sum 41, or Good Charlotte, that you will like this band.
This EP has some strong points to offer you; for instance, the first song. "Leaving" is a very good example of a solid pop-punk anthem. The song has the basic pop-punk build up: verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus, but what makes a good pop-punk song is the ability to sing-a-long. "Leaving", as well as the rest of the album, is very easy to sing along with. The lyrics also are very cliché: girls, heartache, and teenage difficulties.
On the other hand there is one set-back -- the cover song. The final song on the EP is a cover of Jefferson Airplanes/Starship’s, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” It’s not that the song is bad, but more or less that they did a cover in the first place. They put themselves on a lower level than they should have been, with just one song.
Okay so what makes the Starting Line worth the money, or time? The fact that they do it so well, the whole bit that is. Sure in the end they are just another pop-punk band on Drive Thru, but one of the better ones for sure.
1. Leaving
2. Saddest Girl Story
3. Three's A Charm
4. Greg's Last Day
5. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now