The Starting Line Band • Page 39

Just did the same thing lol.

 

I think Direction was ahead of it's time personally. I think it would do great if released today.

 

Are You Alone is probably my favourite song on Direction!

 

Came here to say this

 

If anything, BOATS was the one ahead of it's time. Direction is just a safer version of BOATS that takes less risks

 

Yeah it’s always felt like the narrative around Direction in this crowd was that it was ahead of its time, which I don’t think I can agree with. I love the record but it’s pretty standard pop rock, a specific brand of which was maybe the most popular it’d ever been at that time and definitely has not been as popular since. It sank bc of all the label stuff, not cause people didn’t “get” it

 

Yeah I mean, Direction is a great record, no doubt there, but its always BOATS where they were the most creative and pushed their boundaries

 

BOATS has “Ready” on it so it automatically is their best album, but I may listen to Direction more these days.

 

Can't think of many bands that could make a song like Inspired by the $, that's the kind of sing that set them apart

 

The final four song stretch in Direction is sooo damn good. Whole things good but

 

Good way to put it, that helps clear up why BOATS is my fav despite loving all the albums. Direction is super tight pop songwriting but BOATS is more abrasive and daring. I heard Kenny say in a recent interview that they don’t even know how to play half those songs anymore, that he listens to it now and is so surprised at some of the sections. I think he called it a kitchen sink album. It’s perfect in their discog because it’s bookended by two focused pop rock albums, and while it also has that catchy songwriting, it has a bit more abandon. I’m so excited to see it live for those reasons!

 

If you’re talking about that last stretch, I’d have to include Way With Words in there! The drumming on that song is insane. I know Tom got flak for those early live performances but his drum parts are really amazing. Saddest Girl Story, Stay Right Where I Can See You, Autography, Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us, they’re all really clever but lock right into the tight structure of the songs.

Need to Love is probably my second/first favourite on Direction!

 

Or even Photography, like who of their contemporaries had a ballad even remotely that massive sounding and theatrical in 2005? A couple of the Feldmann bands are the ones I can think of they even come close, and even those were a whole different thing

 

Yep, and especially Ready, as mentioned above. And so many other songs on the album. Crazy stuff, so good.

 

That song gave me a lot of Gatsbys vibes when I heard it, and that felt validating when TSL had them on the Screaming is for Babies tour.

 

Hell yeah, we could all use a bit more Gatsby vibes in our lives

 

Ready is a such an unreal song.

 

Direction isn't ahead of its time, it's just exceptional at what it does. It's better than BOATS imo but BOATS is exciting for all its messiness and its odd edgy turn lol.

 

I've said this before and I don't think many people agreed with me, but they definitely seemed just kept writing and writing different parts on this whole album even when things didn't really make sense. Kenny has said before (really wish I could find the interview) that songs like "The B-List" were difficult/frustrating to write. If you break it down from a songwriting perspective, it seems pretty apparent that they kept adding little transitioning segments because the main sections of the song just weren't flowing together very naturally. I've had this type of writer's block happen numerous times.

On one hand, your songs can turn out pretty jumbled and messy this way, but I think with BOATS it resulted in a bunch of unconventional and unique tracks...and a lot of people love it precisely for that reason.

 

Had things worked on out Based on... and they continued on that upward trajectory, could we have seen them reach the size of TBS, or The Used at their peak? I'd say FOB, or Paramore, but I could never have seen them breaking into Pop radio, etc...

Always intrigued me and I wish there was a discussion amongst the likes of NFG, Senses Fail, Finch and TSL regarding the transition from Drive Thru to MCA, and then Geffen. It seems like that they all went through the same experiences of being on a major label, and getting dumped.

 

This is a good idea for a podcast discussion

 

Someone is listening to me

Vinyl Bundle

 

This is why I ask for gift cards for the holidays. Really love this artwork too.

 

that's really cool

 

they look so good. hope these hit streaming at some point