Punch Your Lights Out [Digipak] (CD - 2008)

There are many who may hate Danger Radio's Punch Your Lights Out on first glance alone -- predominantly nasal vocals layered on top of trendy dance pop-indebted rock mixed with keyboard and occasionally funky guitar lines; it speaks of exuberant teenagers finding inspiration in old R&B and funk albums at the same time as loving every minute of Justin Timberlake's post-*NSYNC career. There's a certain sense of greenness threaded throughout this five-song set, and precious moments like the children's choir addition to the glittering opener "Party Foul" might be trying a bit too hard. But focusing only on the mediocre (the standard love-her, hate-her, don't-understand-her lyrics, for instance, are pretty forgettable) would be selling Danger Radio short, since they are talented enough to successfully combine several different musical styles solidly instead of completely faltering under the weight of their ambition. Things would be much easier to swallow if the vocals weren't so annoyingly pinched, but the band does create some rather sticky melodies in the lackadaisical groove of "Slow" and the whirlwind emo pop of "Keep It Up." Not to mention "Sparkle Baby Shine," which features a nice little reggae break mid-song. For now, Danger Radio probably won't see much airplay past high school car stereos and dorm room dance parties, but in a few years, who knows? ~ Corey Apar minimize