You guys ever listen to William Beckett’s solo album? Totally forgot about this until I was on Wikipedia just now.
Never checked out the solo album but I liked the first EP he did with Girl You Should've Been a Drummer. Completely forgot that release existed until you jogged my memory
I love all of the main Academy is... albums, and I also liked the later EP well enough (new york saint in the city and in the rear view are some of my little gem favorites of theirs, actually). I'm also fond of fast times, but I mainly listened to that during the appropriate time (when I was in high school, in and around the year 2010). I was a fan of theirs since 2007 though, but I just didn't have that CD until 2009 or 2010. Still, there's a couple of all timer tracks on that album, but it's definitely my least favorite. I think out of the three, Santi is probably the best one.
Same for me. It always reminds me of a specific houseparty I was at around 2005/6 with a group of friends from the scene, none of whom I am still in touch with, and I was drunkenly repeatedly (and probably annoyingly) asking someone to put on "The Academy Is, track 3" - meaning Slow Down. That real painful nostalgia. Good times though.
Those three albums are one of the best when it comes to pop rock that came out of "the scene". Those three and everything (certainly the last two) from The Starting Line are just timeless classics in my eyes.
Revisiting this band for the first time in many, many years. They hold up. In large part due to the fact that Beckett's voice is actually pretty strong and nasal free.
I have been relistening to Almost Here all day and I'm pretty sure this debut is a contender for top five pop punk albums of 2005, which was like the most stacked year ever for the genre.
Sorry for the bump but I hope that this reunion results in new music. Have been shuffling their discography this afternoon and they don't miss. Every time I hear Sputter I play it like 3 more times.
Santi is also a feat of a sophomore record. Wasn’t a carbon copy of record 1, wasn’t a grab at what was happening in the scene. I always wonder what would have happened if they were on a different label or had had less of a meteoric rise getting wrapped up in the FBR crowd. I saw the first reunion at riot in their hometown and it was magical. One of the best shows of my life was the TAI, Panic, Acceptance, Hellogoobye tour that was happening as Panic was having their moment. Everything converged, I was at the age, and there was a moment happening. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a tour announced with like Cobra, Gym Class Heroes, TAI, and some other bands that were having their moment all at the same time. I feel like people would go nuts for that.
I was at a 10 year anniversary show of Almost Here and it was magical. To me, that album is a 10/10. No notes. I have to imagine they'll be touring for the 20 year anniversary but would love a career spanning setlist / tour. Santi is also a fantastic album. I admit I appreciate it more now than I did then. As a 14 year old I wanted a copy of Almost Here lol. If I'm remembering correctly, Santi, Southern Weather and On Letting Go were released pretty close to one another. All 3 were on heavy rotation that spring. 2007 was a stacked year in general.
Took me so long to listen to fast times cause of the album name and cover lol was such a big fan of santi and was like wtf is this cash grab at the time
Yeah that’s what I am saying about what would it have been like if they got on a different label and kept doing their own thing. Fast times is by no means bad, but its a huge shift from what they were doing prior imo.
Sputter is one of their best tracks ever IMO. It’s a shame it’s only featured on that forgettable EP.
Listening to Fast Times and it’s definitely a great record but I really wish that the whole High School theme (visually and lyrically) was dropped off it. It takes me out a little when I remember this is all being written as a nostalgic record for teens lol