Alright, Takoma Star. “Till The Fall” is an album heavy with expectant potential. This is a promising album from a band that shoots for a pop-emo kind of category, and they are shooting for it. Make no mistake. Citing bands like Jimmy Eat world, Led Zeppelin, and Sunny Day Real Estate as influences it is more than sure to put you in that direction. “Till The Fall” is catchy, heartfelt, and ambitious. It’s the kind of rock that’s meant for those journal-writing, necktie-wearing, sweatband-lovin’, junior high kids. They’ll dig this. I can see Lil’ Kevin and Davey B, listening to the music of Lil’ Dave and Danny B. Talking about the girls they're never gonna have the balls to ask out. Smoking the shitty grass they paid way too much for. Reading each other their poetry. They’d shell out their parents hard earned money to go catch Takoma Star at some festival show. They would. I would not. I have had it with emotional, heartfelt rock about girls. That being said, we’ll continue to judge the work of Takoma Star based on what it is, and not how much I despise its genre. Just saying…

“Till The Fall” can also be seen as a fun album. Its infectious pop rock grooves inspire a certain amount of youthful celebration. Tracks like 'Your Final Chapter' or 'Base Camp' could easily fit on the soundtrack to some heartwarming coming of age movie. Two romantic leads, sharing their first kiss after character “a” just accidentally crashed the Maserati character “b’s” father lent them for senior prom. “Your Final Chapter” picks up in the background, climax is reached (for the plotline, definitely not the awkward sex these two are about to have), teenage girls in the theatre let out sighs of relief. I throw up all over myself and wonder how the LSD could have fooled me into thinking I was at the release of the new Scorsese flick. Damn you LSD, you fooled me again! Ultimately, the youth will grow up and realize there’s more to life, and music, but for the time being this is enough.

“Till The Fall” is enough. Takoma Star isn’t reinventing the wheel. They haven’t pushed any boundaries, or created anything that will last in the hearts of their fans, but they’ve captured a moment. They’ve managed to capitalize on an experience, a time and place. This hormonal spill of raw emotion won’t be appealing to the kids in another ten years, but fuck it. There are always more kids. For now, for today, there’s Takoma Star, with what I’m sure will be a popular release in the thirteen to nineteen year old demographics. Go Takoma Star! You ride that pony ‘til it falls dead.