IAMDYNAMITE - SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC

Now this is the kind of throwback punk-pop that I can nod my head to!

IAMDYNAMITE - Supermegafantastic (2011) – 6.9 / 10.0
Label: Brando Records


The most infuriating parts of I Am Dynamite aren’t necessarily their fault, at least not in a vacuum. The band’s name is slightly unwieldy, but it is made worse by the fact that this is one of two bands that I’ve reviewed this week whose name began with “I Am”. There’s also an issue with how this band’s name is supposed to be written out—most of their promotional materials suggest that the band’s name is one word spelled with all caps (which is how the band’s name is identified in the copy sent to me), but I’m using the spelling provided by the iTunes Store and Amazon. The band’s own site indicates that the band’s name is one word, but who am I supposed to trust, Amazon or the band themselves?

I wouldn’t say that I Am Dynamite live up to the title of their album, but it’s easy enough to latch onto. I’ve been making a lot of comparisons to punk music circa 2003, but I Am Dynamite harkens back to the lighter side of era when it was okay to still like the bands that Reggie & The Full Effect were making fun of. These are chugging tunes with emo-core vocals laid on top—far from original, but you’d have to be hard of heart to not find something to like here.

That said, the album starts off with its best song, “Where Will We Go”, which might only stand out to me because it comes before the six or so tracks on the album that sound almost the same as the opening track. It’s clear that the band clearly had fun while recording Supermegafantastic, but there’s only so long that this band is going to be able to run on enthusiasm alone. It’s fine for now, though, and that’s all I’ve been assigned to judge.