Review of McBusted Album by McBusted

When Busted and McFly announced they would be joining forces as the aptly-titled supergroup, McBusted, nobody could have predicted the massive success that they'd experience in such a short amount of time. In year one of the McBusted saga, the band found themselves selling out worldwide tours, and they've even got a documentary out too. With another huge tour already scheduled for 2015, it's safe to say that not only have they made 2014 their year, but they'll take full-control over next year, too - and the release of their debut album is only the icing on the sugary sweet McBusted cake.

McBusted McBusted Album

Ever since the formation of McBusted, it was pretty obvious that they were going to put out an album someday, but it raised a very important question: is it going to sound more like Busted or McFly? Turns out, the 12-track self-titled record is a beautifully blended combination of both, and it makes for some of the best pop-rock that'll be heard all year. Opener and first single, 'Air Guitar', has the songwriting presence of McFly, but vocals that are highlighted by Busted's Matt Willis and James Bourne.

Some of the best tracks on the album are the ones that Bourne had his hands in the most. 'What Happened To Your Band', a track that was originally written for his former pop band Son of Dork, is re-created brilliantly from the live version that was played so many years ago, while  'Riding on My Bike', Bourne's personal favorite, has a flair to it that can be compared to his electro-pop solo product, Future Boy. The album's collaborations are also pretty noteworthy, as the band linked up with Mark Hoppus on the Blink-182-esque 'Hate Your Guts' and 'Sensitive Guy', with Hoppus providing his ever-inviting vocals to the former. Additionally, All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth is credited on the addicting 'Get Over It', and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo's influence is plastered all over 'Getting It Out'.

While McBusted is jam-packed with fast riffs and heavy hooks, it isn't without its ballad. 'Beautiful Girls Are The Loneliest', a song Bourne debuted acoustically last year on his YouTube channel, slows down the record's pace and reminds us what was so great about Busted tracks like '3AM' and 'Sleeping With The Light On'. Though the record could have used more songs in vein of 'Beautiful Girls,' the lack thereof is quickly forgotten about with the following pop bangers like 'Before You Knew Me' and 'Back In Time'.

At the end of the day, it's worth wondering why McBusted was McBusted and not just a Busted reunion minus Charlie Simpson. After all, McFly's Tom Fletcher co-wrote the vast majority of Busted to begin with, so it's something that could have worked perfectly fine. However, the star status of both acts make it undoubtedly obvious why merging made complete sense, and the album lives up to the hype immensely. The lyrics balance between awkwardly terrible and cleverly hilarious, and every song will fight each other for a spot to be stuck in your head. McBusted's album proves that the guys are only getting better at their craft, and with such a huge career ahead of them, that's probably the most important thing.

4/5

Joe DeAndrea


Twitter Page - http://twitter.com/mcbusted

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