A Look At The Academy Is...’ “Fast Times at Barrington High”

Last month, The Academy Is... released their third album, titled “Fast Times at Barrington High”- an obvious homage to “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” combined with a subtle reference to bassist Adam Siska and vocalist William Beckett’s alma mater, Barrington High School. 

The record, as the title would leave you to believe, is about the experiences of being in high school and being young. This leads to the question: Is the band experiencing early onset nostalgia or simply trying to appeal to the younger generation? With a generic sub-par pop-punk style that sounds like everything else their age-market has on their iPod, it definitely seems like the latter. Titles like “Summer Hair = Forever Young” and familiar themes such as love, infidelity and graduation support this theory.

It also seems like it could be a projection of bands’ attempts at capturing the same level of fame as label mates Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and Paramore. In an interview with Buzznet.com, William Beckett obviously wanted something that is easy to listen to and addictive. He said, “It’s the album I’ve been waiting to make... I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s going to be an infectious little number.” 

There is nothing wrong with making music appeal to people, but “Fast Times” comes off as forced and rushed. It’s quite possible that it was: The Academy Is...’s previous record, “Santi” was released just last year and the band had quite a hectic touring schedule, touring virtually all year long. 

The record is not without its strong points. “Beware! Cougar”, was described by Beckett in the Buzznet interview as being a “crash course into everything that is relationships, before you’re ready for it.” With clever lyrics like, “when I met you, you were on your back/ we still spend most afternoons like that” and a catchy chorus about bondage, don’t expect to keep it out of your head. Other highlights include “Paper Chase” and their first single “Summer Hair = Forever Young”. 

Overall, the CD is almost instantly forgettable. If you have interest in listening to it, just remember that piracy might not be as bad as the MPAA would lead one to believe.