Early in this decade, no label had more momentum than Drive-Thru Records. Many of the bands that were first in the pop-punk trend came from Drive-Thru, including New Found Glory, The Starting Line and Midtown. At the height of their success, the label’s brass concocted Rushmore Records in an attempt to get some creative power back from Geffen, who had been snatching up their talent. One of the first signees to Rushmore was The Mile After; but after a year, the band parted ways with the whole Rushmore/Drive-Thru family and Rushmore ended up folding. Now almost two years later, The Mile After have finally released their debut full-length, Armada.
With one listen to Armada, it’s clear why the Drive-Thru family wanted The Mile After in the fold. The band delivers slick pop-punk just as if it was 2003 all over again. Although the talent is there, the band lack anything that can be remembered after the album spins.
Armada falters in spots mostly because the band attempts to put too many elements into one three-and-a-half-minute track, where they switch directions mid-way through. It might be their way of trying to stick out, but in the end, the songs aren’t as catchy because of it. The album’s opener, “Hewlett” is a classic example of this, with at least three distinct melodies going on within 30 seconds of each other that make it sound too spastic.
“The Only One” and “Piano Song” are two tracks that overcome the all-or-nothing strategy to really work, mostly because of the solid use of the piano. Both songs include a mid-tempo pace that suits the band more and good use of The Mile After’s three vocalists, even if you can’t tell the difference between them. And when the band speed things up and deliver some more classic pop-punk hooks on tracks like “The Way It Should Be” and “Last Night At Face Value,” Armada is a bit more enjoyable.
The Mile After unmistakably have loads of potential. But on Armada their over-exuberance to use every play in the pop-punk playbook hurts more than it helps. They have a few more miles to go before they make it back to the big-time.
