Ace Troubleshooter entered Christian music at a bad time to impress reviewers. With the market flooded with pop punk albums, the debut from Ace Troubleshooter didn't provide much to get its head above the water. With their sophomore follow up, however, the band seems to be playing music they are more comfortable with and that will inevitably set them apart enough to be noticed.
The new sound of Ace Troubleshooter is somewhere in the whole gamut of emo/rock with a twinge of punk still left and pop sensibilities all across the board. The band's sound on The Madness of the Crowds could draw comparisons to Jimmy Eat World or Weezer and those comparisons would certainly be well founded. To these ears, the music generally sounds good, with some times being better than others.
The lyrics on this release generally explore relationships, but songs about God are also included. The lyrical highlight is "Have It All," which was also included on the Happy Christmas 3 release this last winter. The song does a good job of addressing Christ's divinity and mankind's depravity in relation to the birth of Jesus. The version on The Madness of the Crowds sounds a bit more raw than its previous version. Love songs like "2:00 Your Time" and "Estella" also should sit well with listeners and are catchy enough to gain repeat listens. "Amanda" and "Out to Sea," though rather pointless lyrically could prove to be the biggest hits from the album simply due to the fact that they are fun.
The other songs on the album plod along without leaving much to be remembered by. The vocals aren't strong enough to make the music as defining as Jimmy Eat World or Weezer, but there should be enough here to please many Christian music listeners. It won't be long before Ace Troubleshooter becomes a youth group favorite. I suppose they are better than some of the alternatives.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis June 2002Reviewed by Matt ModrichMinnesota's favorite Tooth and Nail band, Ace Troubleshooter, is back with their second album entitled "The Madness of the Crowds." "Madness" is actually quite different from Ace's self-titled in that it is a hybrid of pop punk and emo. It starts out rocking with the anthemic title track that will definitely get the kids going. Track two "2:00 Your Time" is an emo song that could end up being the…The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by Josh HurstAce Troubleshooter's sophomore effort, The Madness of the Crowds, is something of a dream come true for a half-hearted pop/punk fan like myself. On the one hand, I've always been attracted to the pure, raw energy and passion of the genre, and Ace men offer up plenty of that with their new record. On the other hand, though, modern punk music has always seemed a bit repetitive to me. After two or…Art for the Ears 2002Reviewed by Marco PovervestHappy power rock, that's how you could describe the music on The Madness Of The Crowds. It's the first opportunity for me to get to know the music from this band so I can't compare it with previous efforts as this is not their debut. There's undoubtedly a lot of positive energy flowing through the music. It was the band Toto that discovered how great it is to sing about girlnames ending with 'a'…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Bert GanglAfter three indie releases and a self-titled Tooth & Nail debut in 2000, the members of Ace Troubleshooter seem determined to use their back catalog as both a reference point and a springboard for their latest effort. True to much of what has preceded it, the new project, The Madness of the Crowds, once again showcases the Minneapolis foursome's love of all things punk/pop-related. Songs like…Similar sounding releases
2001Stavesacre / Denison MarrsStavesacre / Denison Marrs
2005The Juliana TheoryDeadbeat Sweetheartbeat
2004Alkaline Trio / One Man ArmyBYO Records Split Series Volume V
2000SamiamAstray
2003DuvallVolume & Density
2004Your Enemies FriendsYou Are Being Videotaped
