The circumstances have really been against The Academy Is...
They emerged in 2004, not just at the same time as Fall Out Boy, but from the same town. In fact, the story goes that they were "discovered" by FOB's Pete Wentz, and eventually put on his record label imprint.
Obviously, at least to the people pulling the strings, the band seemed to signify a quick way to cash in on a fad. The sound of their first record "Almost Here" was similar to FOB in it's sugar-y pop-punk, and the band spent the next several years of their emergence touring with Pete and Company while making repeated member changes.
But all of this hasn't stopped the band from growth. Since "Almost Here" dropped in early 2005, the band has released two more full-lengths, each growing the overall reach of the band, creatively and in popularity. In August, they released "Fast Times..," an album that would have been the soundtrack to the movie it rips it's title from - if that movie was being made next year.
There are a lot of pop bands. What makes The Academy Is... a cut above?
Singer, William Beckett.
Beckett's swagger and vocal soar make his silly lyrics about first love and summertime ring with the urgency of a presidential address and the importance of Shakespearean poetry. The songs are so over-the-top in hooks and melody, they instantly seem familiar.
And sometimes (despite what fans of Arcade Fire might tell you), music really can be this effortless and easy to listen to.
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