What's Happening to Hey Monday??

Seriously, I've been putting this off since last Tuesday. I had such high hopes for Hey Monday's new EP, that I thought I must be missing something when I listened to it and 3 songs in I had to turn it off. I mean, it shot to #1 on iTunes alternative charts the day it came out and #3 on iTunes Top Ten. That had to mean something right?? So, I went to check out the reviews on the album, and finally I didn't feel so alone. While reviews were mixed, many of the ones I read wanted to know the same thing I did, "What happened to Hey Monday?"

Hold on Tight was one of my favorite albums of 2008. I literally kept the album on repeat my entire freshmen year of college. I told everyone I knew about them and constatly compared them to Paramore.

When I found out that they were releasing new music this summer, I, like many other fans, got excited. I counted down the days until Beneath It All was released. I followed the band on Twitter religiously for any news on the album and listened to the songs as the band released them on Myspace.



Then the album actually came out. I downloaded it and like I said, 3 songs in I had to turn it off. This wasn't the Hey Monday I had fallen in love with. In fact, this wasn't even pop punk/punk rock/alternative music.

While all of the album wasn't awful, I wish they would have taken the time to make it a full album like originally planned and not just an EP. I'm gonna go through song by song and give a review/rating of each.

Wish You Were Here 3/5 stars
The music and lyrics are pretty catchy. There's really not much to it though. It's the same few lines over and over again. After about a minute and a half, that gets stale.

Best lyric: Here's my Hollywood ending calling
Every day fades to black
Sick and tired of pretending, darling
That you'll ever come back



Wondergirl 4/5 stars
I really like this song. I think it says a lot for female empowerment & not letting a guy control your life. It's like a big "F*ck you" to every guy that has ever done a girl wrong. This girl, the minute she gets free of the guy, he wants her to come back and save him, but she won't.

Best lyric: "Be your wonder girl, not gonna save you
Wonder girl, go save yourself"

I Don't Wanna Dance 4.5/5 stars
This song is the lead single off the EP. I think Hey Monday made a great choice in choosing this as their single. The song has the typical Hey Monday sound with catchy lyrics and an infectious melody.

Best lyric: I can't pick just one!! It's soooo good! :D



Hangover 5/5 stars
I LOVE the metaphors in this song! I can't say that enough. I've never had a hangover, but I have had my heart broken and I can tell you, if/when that ever happens again, this will be one of the first songs I go to. My immediate reaction to this song was that it was a somewhat girly-er version of Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk." I think it paints a great image of what a bad break up feels like.

Best lyric: It's the short hellos and the long goodbyes
The shake in my lip from the look in your eyes
Makes me want to die
I've got the worst hangover from you



Mr. Pushover 1/5 stars
Don't even get me started on this song. The country vibe, the lyrics that have NO depth...seriously, slow it down, add an acoustic guitar and this could totally pass as a Taylor Swift song. I feel sorry for whoever Mr. Pushover is for even being included on this album.

Best lyric: are you kidding me?!

Where Is My Head 4.5/5 stars
AHHH! Another classic Hey Monday song! Every had someone that you knew was bad for you but you just didn't care? That's this song. I love the lyrics, the music, it's everything I would expect from Hey Monday. Remember the "good girl" from Cobra Starship's, Good Girls Go Bad? Figuaratively, I could see this song being written by the "good girl." I love it!

Best lyric: I might be modest on the outside looking in
But your mouth and body's got the best of me

Don't just take my word for it, though. Here are reviews from some other, more credible sources.

Beneath It All is enjoyable enough, but it feels woefully incomplete.
Alt Press

Bad girl gone good? That seems to be the premise behind the Florida pop punkers torn EP that’s more karaoke-ready than a horrid 90s’ hits compilation. Beneath It All consoles you with a striking pop construction but force feeds you images of Kelly Clarkson (“I Don’t Wanna Dance”) and an edgy Taylor Swift with an innocent butterfly tattoo. Not all is lost with singer Cassadee Pope as her vocals do their best Cartel impression on “Where Is My Head”, but one adolescent anthem will regrettably spit out the “one of these things is not like the other” expression.

Download: “Where Is My Head”
Blame Magazine

If these are the best six songs that were selected from the original lineup, whatever got left on the studio floor would be rough on the ears
IDOBI Network

And just when I thought that this "sophomore slump" couldn't get any worse, Hey Monday's bassist, Jersey, has decided to leave the band. He wrote a letter to his fans via Tumblr. Then followed up with this note thanking his fans for all their support and well wishes.

Hopefully this doesn't spell the end for Hey Monday and they'll be able to pull out one killer album next time around. This fan will wait, somewhat unpatiently, for that day.

<3 Jen