Adam McIntyre
Nothing Means Anything (2005, Headphone Treats)

Adam McIntyre is a rising pop hero from Nashville, TN. He used to play in the amazing Superhype, but in 2003 branched out to make his way as a solo artist. Nothing Means Anything is McIntyre’s second studio release. The album shows that McIntyre is definitely starting to come into his own as a songwriter, but with it come all the normal faults. Mediocrity just oozes from every pore of this LP. The sound is much more polished than 2003’s Rockstars & Superheroes, and this time it seems as if he’s narrowed down the style of music he plays to a straightforward rock format.

The opening track 'Your Only Friend' sets the tempo for the rest of the album. The song is a medium tempo song with no real memorable parts. It’s all fairly basic tried and true singer with a guitar, subdued string part, and lazy guitar solo. There are a lot of these on this album. The worst showing of weakness on this album comes through in 'Can’t Stop Crying' which has an amazing flute part, and would be an excellent song; however the vocals sound strained and the guitar work is quite sluggish as well. This song is basically just another one that drifts to the wayside.

Possibly the biggest pitfall of this album is the inclusion of a Christmas song titled 'Every Day Is Christmas'. Not only is it in terribly bad taste, with incredibly trite lyrics about a woman, but it is something you’d expect to be on a 50’s “Rockin’ Christmas” compilation. It’s a song you should avoid at all costs.

However, every once in a while a song comes through that just stands out above the rest. Though few and far between, there are a few worth mentioning. For instance, 'Half Dead' is the true shining gem of this album. McIntyre knows how to shred, and he’s not afraid to show it on this track. Blistering guitar work and psychedelic vocal trickery over a fast paced beat make this track stick in your head all day long. There’s also the musically accomplished 'Fairytale' which features a resounding drum part, and some nice piccolo parts that complement the guitar solo nicely. If the whole album were like this I would not complain in the least.

McIntyre is definitely growing as a musician; however he should have stuck to branching out with different musical styles. This album is bland and repetitive, and after a while all the songs begin to blend together and sound the same. There is nothing groundbreaking here at all. Trust me, you’re not missing anything.

-John Hall 9/19/05