This Legend - It's In The Sreets (Album Review)

This Legend's It's In The Streets is the group's debut album. This is a new band, but you're probably more than familiar with some of the members if you like pop/punk. Both Longineu Parsons III and Ben Harper were in Yellowcard. LP was on the band's albums up until their most recent release Lift A Sail while Harper played in the classic Ocean Avenue era of the band. Harper left the band during writing for Lights and Sounds. After LP left Yellowcard a video surfaced online of This Legend and interest and excitement was sparked from Yellowcard fans. LP and Harper are joined by vocalist/guitarist Chris Castillo (Stanley and the Search) and bassist Steven Neufeld (HeyMike!). The band's debut album It's In The Streets is out in November and when I got this for review I was really eager to see what this band could do.

Now, obviously when you think about this album you start thinking this could be really good. When I heard the debut album was set to be released later in the year and saw a few live videos I was starting to get just how good this could be. Harper and LP bring their A+ game to this release and the names to draw the attention. LP's drumming on this album is like he's in beast mode and eager to show the world what they're missing out on now that he's no longer in Yellowcard. He showcases that he's easily one of the best pop/punk drummers in the genre. His drums sound great and this album has some of my favorite drumming he's done on any album. Harper also seems like he wants to show the world what they've been missing all these years as well. This, to me, is his first big album and band since he left Yellowcard. The guitar parts are done well. To me this band could either succeed or fail in large part by the performance of Chris Castillo. His vocal ability was the part hanging in the air until I had heard the album. I was confident in what Harper and LP could do, but if they hadn't found the right vocalist it might not work. I'm happy to say that in my opinion Castillo is a perfect fit for this band. His vocals are really good. He's an above average pop/punk vocalist and the lyrics presented are really interesting and done nicely. He does a good job writing and plays rhythm guitar on the album as well. The band, as a whole, sounds really tight on this album. Producer Sam Pura (Panda Studios) was the right choice to go with for this album. His work with bands like Title Fight and The Story So Far showcase that he understands the sound. This album just sounds really good. I really like the mixing. 

The album as a whole is solid, well done pop/punk. This is easily one of the best pop/punk albums I've heard this year. It's hard not to have that classic 2000s era pop/punk feeling when listening to the album. A lot of that has to do with just knowing Harper and LP are in a band together again. I will say that this doesn't sound or feel dated. Remember this is an all new band and there is a certain freshness to it that you can hear in the music. You definitely hear and get that new band energy and excitement from the album. The album's first song "Lyrics With My Pen" is an opening statement that really showcases the band's abilities. LP offers some super solid drumming, the guitars are fast and have that great pop/punk vibe, and the lyrics are really good with Castillo proclaiming "This year better be my year..." it's like a pop/punk battle cry. "Feeling Like I Should" has some really cool lead guitar parts that I really enjoy. The title track "It's In The Streets" is one of my favorite songs on the album. The chorus really gets stuck in my head and I enjoy the drums and vocals on the song a lot. "Get Fast" definitely has that nostalgic early 2000s pop/punk feel I was talking about. "I Deserve Better" has fantastic drumming. I really like Castillo's vocal performance on the song. It's so catchy. The song has really sing-a-longable lyrics.

So yeah you can't deny LP and Harper's involvement will have the Yellowcard fans waiting to see them back recording music together. I know I was. If you aren't a fan of Yellowcard's Lift A Sail and didn't like the direction of the album you should definitely give this a listen as you might have found a new favorite album and band this year. On the other hand it's important to remember This Legend is a new band and they have their own thing going. It's not just the two guys from Yellowcard. Castillo does a fantastic job on this album and his involvement shows that he's extremely talented. Neufeld sounds good on the album and brings something special as well. The band sound tight and have created a really good album. It lived up to the hype I had for it. During this time of year I start thinking about my best albums of the year list and with how good of an album this is I'm strongly considering it for a spot in my top 10 favorite albums of the year list.