Halo Friendlies

Item: Get Real
Author: Matt Modrich

Get Real

(2002)

Reviewed by Matt Modrich

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsDecapolisJuly 2002

pop punk power pop

The Halo Friendlies have been around for years as an all-girl punk band. Yet they hadn't gotten too much attention until they recently signed with Tooth and Nail and released "Get Real."

While there aren't too many all-girl bands out there, The Halo Friendlies probably can name most of them because they've probably been compared to every band with a chick singer. However, the closest punk rock comparisons for them are probably Element 101, The Go Go's or The Donnas.

"Get Real" starts out with "Sellout" the song from their latest video, which would make Squad Five-O proud. Next is "Over It," which is a killer pop song with an anthemic chorus. Track three "I'm All Eyes" has some interesting keyboard parts, as well as a pretty cool key change at the end. Next is "Just Like You," which starts like it is going to be a letdown, until it kicks into another memorable chorus. Track five "Anything For You" turns in another decent chorus, but on the whole it's not quite as good as its predecessors.

Track six "Milwaukee" is fairly mediocre because it doesn't seem to quite have a hook that can compete with anything on the first half of the album. The next song "Run Away" follows in the same suit, except for the almost glam-rock guitar solo toward the end. Track eight "Nice Guys" also seems like a filler track. But just when things start to go south, "Don't Let Me Down" brings the album back up to speed. Then there are two moderately interesting songs before the album ends with "Unsaid Goodbye," an acoustic ballad.

"Get Real" has an excellent first half and would make for a killer EP, but there really is just too much filler. Still the one thing that "Get Real" proves is that The Halo Friendlies are more than just cute girls with guitars.

B-