Album Review: Neotheater by AJR

Welp, here's the review most of you have probably been waiting for: Neotheater by AJR. One of the most hated albums of 2019, and the second studio album of a band I love with a flaming passion. While I have had a lot of exposure from most of the songs from The Click well before I reviewed it, aside from Next Up Forever, 100 Bad Days, and Birthday Party, I haven't really heard most of the songs from Neotheater. So I'm going into this album with open eyes. These are my thoughts, as a massive AJR fan, on Neotheater. Let's begin.

 

Cover: Like The Click, Neotheater's cover is really cool. It's plush versions of Adam, Jack, and Ryan sitting on a pile of instruments in the clouds. Very pretty, eye catching, and creative. Verdict: 5/5. 

Song 1: Next Up Forever.

I could not possibly think of a better song to start the album off. Everything about this song is so grand and amazing. The intro is incredible, the production is absolutely fantastic, Jack sounds amazing as usual, the lyrics are kind of cheesy, but they're not that bad, and I understand the feeling of always wanting to be pursuing something, instead of actually getting it. As they say, the journey is more fun than the destination. I don't know how the rest of the album will play out, but this song is definitely helping Neotheater's case.

Verdict: 5/5.

Song 2: Birthday Party

Oh boy, here we go. After building it up, I will finally talk about Birthday Party. Now, I normally don't talk about a song's premise, but the premise of this song is integral to why it's so bad. See, Birthday Party is about a baby who is born into the world, and is imagining what the world will be like through a naïve viewpoint, because it's a baby. This fails for 2 reasons: 1. it comes off as incredibly pretentious. 2. It's a baby. It should not know any of the stuff it speaks about in the song. Because IT'S A BABY. But as Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh), The Pina Colada Song, and Rude prove, a song can still be alright, even if it has an awful premise. So what about the rest of Birthday Party? Eh. The production is weird, the lyrics are dumb and moronic, and it's just an all around confusing experience. The chorus sounds fine, and Jack sounds good as usual, but Birthday Party is a gigantic pile of pretentious idiocy. I'd recommend listening to it in a Room or Birdemic way, in how it's so bad it's good. But if you want a genuinely good AJR song, this party is not for you.

Verdict: 2/5.

Song 3: 100 Bad Days

After the massive mess that is Birthday Party, the album quickly picks itself up with 100 Bad Days. The production is great, Adam sounds fantastic, the lyrics are great, the song has a funky, bombastic vibe, and it has great rhythm. A definite album highlight.

Verdict: 5/5.

Song 4: Don't Throw Out My Legos

This is a very...interesting song. Like Birthday Party, the production is very weird. But unlike Birthday Party, I can get behind this weirdness. There's a bit of funk, Jack sounds amazing as usual, the lyrics are kind of dumb, but not that bad, and the song has a very nice sounding feel. Really cool and decent.

Verdict: 4/5.

Song 5: Break My Face

I absolutely love this song. Every inch of this production is so bombastic and funky, Jack sounds great, the lyrics are fine, and there aren't any stupid lines. The face may be broken, but this song sure isn't.

Verdict: 5/5.

Song 6: Turning Out Part II

This is one of those cases where the sequel is better than the original. While the original Turning Out was boring as hell, this one is really good. The production is nice and soothing, Ryan sounds lovely, the lyrics aren't dumb at all, and the pianos are lovely. Why the hell wasn't the original Turning Out like this?!

Verdict: 5/5.

Song 7: The Entertainment's Here

This song is meh. It's not absolutely amazing, but it has a nice, and pleasant vibe. Definitely a weak entry in Neotheater, but still alright.

Verdict: 3/5.

Song 8: Karma

This song is alright. The production is nice, Jack sounds great, the song has a boppin vibe, the lyrics are decent, I love the cyberpunk elements, and the cowbell. A definite album highlight

Verdict: 4/5

Song 9: Beats

While the song starts off terribly, it gets better as it goes on. The beat is both relaxing and funky, Jack sounds good, the lyrics are alright, and it's a generally alright. Far from the best song on the album, but far from the worst.

Verdict: 3/5.

Song 10:Wow, I'm Not Crazy

This song is cool. It has a nice, relaxing vibe, Jack sounds ok. and it's a good song to listen to when you're feeling down. An absolutely great song.

Verdict: 5/5.

Song 11: Dear Winter

Oh my god this song is an emotional powerhouse. Jack sounds heavenly, the guitar strumming is lovely, the lyrics are masterful, and it's such a lovely tearjerker. If you don't at least give a nice smile when listening to this song, you either have a heart made of stone, or you're a jerk. Easily the best song on the album. It's such a powerhouse. I love it.

Verdict: 6/5.

Song 12: Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next)

And now, we get to the last song on the album. Does it end the album with a bang, or does it fall flatter than Birthday Party? Bang. Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next) is a fantastic end to this album. It sounds lovely, it has a catchy, funky vibe, and it has a bombastic feel similar to Next Up Forever. But what truly makes Finale a great song is the ending. It's so powerful and emotional, and really makes you feel like you witnessed something great. A fantastic end to an alright, albeit strange, album.

Verdict: 5/5

Final thoughts: So, does Neotheater deserve the hate it has? Well... yes and no. Neotheater is a bizarre experience. Unlike Gemini, which is hated because it's forgettable, Neotheater feels like it's hated because of how weird it is. Because this album is bizarre as hell. Birthday Party is an idiotic and strange failure, and while the other songs are good, they are very bizarre and weird. Do I recommend this album? If you're as much of an AJR fan as I am, then yes. If you've never heard an AJR song before, I recommend checking out The Click, before you check out this album. And if you hate Neotheater, I understand. It's a very bizarre, flawed album, with numerous problems. But at the end of the day, it's still an AJR album. And even though many people hate them, and I won't stick by every AJR song ever made, I am, always have been, and always will be, a die hard AJR fan. So yeah, despite its problems, Neotheater gets my seal of approval.

Verdict: 5/5.

Best songs: Next Up Forever, 100 Bad Days, Dear Winter, Turning Out Part II, Don't Throw Away My Legos, Karma, Break My Face, Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next),  Wow, I'm Not Crazy.

Worst songs: Birthday Party.

What are your thoughts on Neotheater? What are your favorite and least favorite songs from it? What's your favorite AJR song? Comment below!