Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

JFH Music Review




Amber Pacific
The Possibility and the Promise



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 12 tracks: 40 minutes, 55 seconds
Street Date: May 24, 2005


Amber Pacific, an emo-punk quintet from Federal Way, WA, follow up their Fading Days EP with The Possibility and the Promise on Hopeless Records. Having released their EP in 2004, Amber Pacific look to expand their sound with a full-length debut in 2005.

With most of Amber Pacific's members barely out of their teens, one should expect to find a youthful burst of punk energy right from the start and The Possibility and the Promise doesn't disappoint. The album opens with the blazing guitars and inventive breakdowns of "Everything We Were Has Become What We Are" and follows it up with the hook-laden "Poetically Pathetic." These songs' combination of straightforward punk and catchy choruses mimics Relient K at its best, while "Gone So Young" features a radio-ready chorus that follows up these first two nicely.

While The Possibility and the Promise opens with a promising trio of songs, it's unfortunate that the rest of the album doesn't hold up. The problem? First of all, Amber Pacific is young and falls into the trap of repeating itself too often. Pop-punk (as a genre) is formulaic and simplistic enough to begin with, and it's hard for Amber Pacific to sustain its momentum without most of the album sounding the same. Although the band tries to mix it up a little (introducing pianos on "If I Fall"), the band appears to run out of new ideas less than halfway through the album. (On that note, is that the melody to the worship song "My Life Is In You Lord" on the guitar break for "Always You (Good Times)?") The second problem is that the rest of the songs simply aren't strong enough to stand out and grab the listener's attention. The melodies are too bland and the choruses aren't memorable enough to make The Possibility and the Promise anything more than a forgettable album in the end.

To make matters worse, this album isn't very lyrically mature either. While emo bands have a certain inalienable right to sing about personal relationship woes, it still takes a level of tact to avoid sounding too sappy or emotional in the process. Amber Pacific is unabashedly emo, as their song titles suggest ("Save Me From Me" and "The Sky Could Fall Tonight," etc), so it's no surprise that most of this album is lyrically focused on girls. This would be fine if the sentiments expressed in these songs were wistful or endearing in any way, but too often the band relies on trite and clichéd expressions to carry their emotion. The worn-out pleadings of "The Right To Write Me Off" ("Can we make this last forever? / Remember how we used to be?") lacks any serious depth while the high school sentiments of "The Sky Could Fall Tonight" ("If the sky should fall tonight / I will be here at your side") are forgivable only by the fact that this band is just a few years removed from actual high school.

As the first few songs suggest, this band might have what it takes to stand out from the crowd and write really good songs. However, their songwriting will have to improve (both musically and lyrically) in order to truly separate themselves from the Stellar Kart's and Simple Plan's of the world. For pop-punk fans, this band isn't horrible, just terribly bland and uninteresting - something that more age and experience are sure to fix.

- Review date: 5/23/05, written by Sherwin Frias



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

 

CD

Buy This CD Online


. Record Label: Hopeless Records
. Album length: 12 tracks, 40 minutes and 55 seconds
. Street Date: May 24, 2005
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Everything We Were Has Become What
    We Are
  2. Poetically Pathetic
  3. Gone So Young
  4. Save Me From Me
  5. Postcards
  6. For What It's Worth
  7. The Right To Write Me Off
  8. The Sky Could Fall Tonight
  9. Falling Away
  10. Always You (Good Times)
  11. If I Fall
  12. Can't Hold Back
spacer
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

Search JFH




This Tuesday, October 29, 2024
SINGLES
Pipe Bomb Hate Club - Single [The Charon Collective]

This Thursday, October 31, 2024
ALBUMS
Neon Horse Habit of Creature - EP [Velvet Blue Music]

This Friday, November 1, 2024
ALBUMS
AWZY Sinners and Saints - EP [DREAM]
Forrest Frank Child of God (Deluxe) [river house]
Future of Forestry Symphonic Christmas (Live) (independent)
Influence Music It's All About You (independent)
The Kingdom Heirs No Better Time [Sonlite]
Limoblaze Young & Chosen (Power Pack) - EP [Reach]
Paul & Hannah McClure Christmas Morning (Re-Release) [Bethel]
Planetshakers Winning Team: Songs For Church (Live) [Venture3Media]
Skillet Revolution [Atlantic]
Sam's the Hero Charlie Cox - EP [Small Step]
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld Light of Joy - EP [Vere]
Ivan Theva Waiting Here for You - EP [Descendent/Provident]
John Van Deusen Anthem Sprinter [Tooth & Nail]
Phil Wickham Hallelujah! It's Christmas! [Fair Trade]
YWAM Kona Music Missionary Anthem - EP [Integrity]

SINGLES
Ayo Shamir, YP aka Young Paul Aaron Judge - Single (independent)
Gabby Barrett O Come, O Come Emmanuel (feat. The Piano Guys) - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Brennley Brown Mary, Did You Know? - Single [Provident]
Lauren Daigle Then I Will - Single [Centricity]
Dreamers The Reason - Multi-Single [DREAM]
EJ Swavv I Hate Lucy - Single [Syntax]
Jess Ford This is My Jesus - Single (independent)
FYR FYTR So Simple - Single (independent)
Michael Monroe Pour It Out - Single [Provident]
Seph Schlueter We Sing (Joy To The World) [feat. Leanna Crawford] - Single [Provident]
Skye Peterson, Ben Shive Keep the Feast - Single [Getty]
SNT. VINCENT Confession - Single [Syntax]
Cyndi Thompson Silent Night - Single [County Line]
Thrive Worship Hark - Single [Integrity]
Tauren Wells Making Room - Single [Capitol CMG]

VINYL
Skillet Revolution Vinyl [Atlantic]

Next Friday, November 8, 2024
ALBUMS
Gabby Barrett Carols and Candlelight [Warner Music Nashville]
CXMMXNS CXMMXNS Chapter 1 - EP [Essential Worship]
New Hope Oahu There Is One - EP [DREAM]
Neal Morse & The Resonance No Hill For A Climber [InsideOut]
TAKE Time Bomb [Resuscitation Records]
Lauren Talley A Lauren Talley Christmas [Horizon]

SINGLES
Cory Asbury I Hope You Dance - Single [BEC]
Jordan Kauflin, Laura Story Approach, My Soul - Single [Getty]
Sam Bowman & GLADDEN Misfit Toys - Single [DREAM]
Wavorly Enemies - Single (independent)

VINYL
Michael W. Smith Every Christmas Vinyl [Rocketown]
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Vinyl [Frontiers]
TAKE Time Bomb Vinyl [Resuscitation Records]

DVD
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Blu-Ray [Frontiers]



For all release dates, click here!
 



Check out the new album from Taylor Holland Armstrong!



Listen to the new Single from Second Adam and the New Creations!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images