Search - Gym Class Heroes :: As Cruel As School Children

Refreshing Album From Gym Class Heroes

Dorrie Wheeler | 07/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't sleep on the latest release by Gym School Heroe's titled As Cruel As School Children. The group has a real fresh sound. The first single from the release "New Friend Request" is something that everyone who is a part of the whole Myspace phenomenon will be able to relate to. "Clothes Off" is an uptempo song that puts a whole new spin on the classic Jermaine Stewart song "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off."



When listening to As Cruel As School Children I had that same feeling I got when I listened to the Souls of Mischief album 93' To Infinity for the first time. From start to finish it's a solid album and it's the kind of album you can imagine listening to at a summer barbecue or at a day at the beach. Stand out tracks on the album include the first single "Friend Request," "Shoot Down The Stars," and "7 Weeks."



Travie, Matt, Dishani, and Eric have released a real fresh album for the summer. A little Jamiroquai, a little Souls of Mischief and N.E.R.D., a little Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gym Class Heroes have ushered in a brand new style of hip-hop rock pop funk.

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Unclassifiable Dopeness {4 Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 04/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit that I didn't really know much about Gym Class Heroes until I saw them at a show with P.O.S. (Rhymesayers) and K-Os (Canada's finest) back in February. I actually went only because I'm a huge K-Os fan. Anyway, after a few listens to this album, the first thing to jump out at me was how tight an MC their frontman Travis McCoy is. He rides beats very well and I gotta say it's great to hear a young, black rapper (can I call him a rapper?) come out and do his own thing instead of trying to imitate Jay Z or any other "thug of the week." His accapella freestyles (the Sloppy Love Jingles) are noteworthy and worth hearing too. Dude can flow and is a capable singer to boot. The topics range from love to MySpace usage. No stone is left unturned with these guys and that, along with a great sense of humor, is part of their charm in my humble opinion.



As far as flaws go, I couldn't really find any. I mean, some songs hit me more than others, but none of them were bad. Just a little skip material here or there, but nothing worth mentioning. I take that back. "Clothes Off!" was a misstep worth mentioning. Travis' flow on this one is dope, but the hook is annoying. It's the only track I consistently skip. The rest is great.



As Cruel As School Children is an album that I recommend to lovers of all kinds of music. Call it hip hop. Call it punk rock. Call it Pop. Call it whatever you want to call it, but just know that it's great stuff no matter what you call it. I, for one, will be seeking out their previous material as well as any future releases. I recommend adding this to your music library.



Standout Tracks: Viva la White Girl, Cupid's Chokehold, New Friend Request, The Queen and I, 7 Weeks, Sloppy Love Jingle Pt. 1, It's OK But Just This Once!, and Shoot Down the Stars (My Favorite)"

Decent, but not what I wanted from them...

Ink | NY | 02/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First off I have to give this album 4 stars, it is good, just not as good as their last two full lenghts, and yes this is their 3rd album. I grew up near Geneva NY where these guys are from, I used to go to all their shows even when it was only 30-40 kids standing in an empty auditorium, and i always had a blast. For me, this album is lacking one ingrediant that once made GCH one of my favorite bands, the clever lyrics that strike a chord with my own personal experiences. Both of their last albums had tracks that did that, Decrepit Bricks, Food For Mic Skills, Noah and Faces In The Hall, this album didnt have a single track that stuck out in my mind lyrically, which is sad because Travis is a great writer. I recomend giving the album a try if you like Gym Class but if you really liked the Papercut Chronicles or For the Kids then you might be disappointed but its a good poppy album and has a few catchy hooks. If you just want to sample some songs listen to the Queen and I, Clothes Off, or 7 weeks. And to comment on the person below who was bitching that Cupids Chokehold was not on the album, that is because it is actually a track off of their second album The Papercut Chronicles, I am not entirely sure why they rereleased As Cruel with this song agian, but if you want the song just buy their last album its better anyways."