Gym Class Heroes:
As Cruel As Schoolchildren

Release Date: 04 September 2006

Reviewed By: Melisa Tang

1. 1st period: The Queen And I

2. 2nd period: Shoot Down The Stars

3. 3rd period: New Friend Request

4. 4th period: Clothes Off!

5. Lunch: Sloppy Live Jingle Pt.1

6. 6th period: Viva La White Girl

7. 7th period: 7 Weeks

8. 8th period: It’s OK, But Just This Once!

9. Study Hall: Sloppy Love Jingle, Pt.2

10. 10th period: Biters Block

11. Yearbook Club: Boys In Bands Interlude

12. 12th period: Scandalous Scholastics

13. 13th period: On My Own Time (Write On!)

14. Detention: Sloppy Love Jingle, Pt.3

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The last time Gym Class Heroes were in town, they were playing at London’s Astoria as the support act for Fall Out Boy. Not the kind of audience you would expect a hip hop group to play to, but then again, GCH aren’t your usual hip hop group.

Although recognised and respected on the underground scene as one of the true pioneers of live hip hop, GCH aren’t one to restrict themselves to a single genre. Mixing rap, rock, indie, R&B and everything else on their creative palettes, GCH have carved out their own niche in the market, and with their lead single, ‘The Queen And I’, are gaining fans faster than the majority of other hip hop acts out today.

The first single from their Decaydence/Fueled by Ramen debut, ‘The Queen And I’, is a track which sees frontman Travis rhyme about girls and alcohol over a latin-inspired riff. With the indie undertones, the group at times sound a little like the Red Hot Chili Peppers; at others, they sound like a mellowed-out Linkin’ Park.

Yet, proving how adaptable the group can be, they show a rather emo-like side of them on ‘Clothes Off!’. A feel-good track, ‘Clothes Off!’ is an upbeat indie cut, with Travis’ consistent flow running seamlessly over the beat, keeping the track tied to its hip hop roots whilst injecting a new sound into their listeners’ eardrums.

The world’s obsession with MySpace is also addressed on ‘New Friend Request’, a story of unrequited love which unfolds on the popular networking site.

GCH are joined by William Beckett from The Academy Is… on the chilled out ‘7 Weeks’, while Speech of Arrested Development lends his MC skills to the impressionable track, ‘Biters Block’.

Unlike their previous two albums, GCH are more melodic on this release, with Travis singing more of the hooks on the LP. This is shown most on the light-hearted ‘Scandalous Scholastics’, a boastful tale of a forbidden teacher/pupil relationship.

Whilst GCH excel on tracks like the aforementioned ‘The Queen And I’, ‘Biters Block’ and ‘7 Weeks’, songs like ‘On My Own Time (Write On!)’ and ‘It’s OK, But Just This Once!’ don’t quite live up to the high standard the group set for themselves on this LP, although the guitar solo on ‘On My Own Time’ makes up for some of the disappointment.

Keeping in line with the school theme, the LP is labelled by periods, from 1st period right through to 13th period, complete with lunch, study hall and detention. These skits, subtitled ‘Sloppy Love Jingle’, parts 1, 2 and 3, are used well to showcase Travis as a poet, rhyming a cappella about a girl he fancies at school.

The use of live instruments coupled with witty lyricism is what really makes this album, for whilst most tracks are good for listening to in the sun, it’s when you listen closely to the well-thought out lyrics that you really begin to appreciate the album for what it is – a true musical delight.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Top three tracks:
1) 1st period: The Queen And I
10) 10th period: Biters Block
12) 12th period: Scandalous Scholastics

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