If you combine cliché song lyrics with watered down Clash melodies, then you would have The Hint.
This Washington, D.C., punk-pop trio recently released the self-titled “Black and White Album” on BlindSpot Records. Although GRAMMY winner David Ivory produced the album, it fails to drop “the hint” that this band is worth listening to.
The Hint consists of Joe Jayson on vocals and guitars, Peter Osborne on bass and Denis Pachas on drums. The band has been together for nearly three years. Last weekend, The Hint played a show at The Map Room downtown. The show was a part of their Winter 2003 tour.
On “Anywhere,” the album’s first track, vocalist Jayson whines “getting’ sick of flippin’ thru channels/ nothing on TV / I’m bored to death of this town/ I’m going (stir) crazy.”
Frankly, who cares? The lyrics on this track, much like the rest of the album, are boring and trite.
With their background vocals on “Karen,” The Hint sound like a poor-man’s Ramones. Their guitar riffs on tracks like “Halfway” and “Say It” sound both stale and unoriginal.
On the track “Evolution,” Jayson begs for a companion by singing, “If you came here tonight to hear one song/ I hope you sing along cuz misery loves company and I can’t do it alone.”
These lyrics sound like the chorus to a Backstreet Boys ballad, not a punk anthem.
At this rate, The Hint’s fan base will consist of 12-year-old girls holding signs that read, “Will you be my boyfriend?”
However, they manage to justify their attempt at punk-rock stardom on the track “Prohibition.” In reference to underage drinking, Jayson chants, “it’s like prohibition/ it’s such a crazy decision/ of course kids will do it anyway/ the government will come around some day.”
Students take note—a song about defying the government is punk rock at its best. The intense percussion and upbeat guitar melodies could even make an Avril Lavigne fan jump out of their seat and thrash around at the harmonious sound of real punk rock.
However, following that dose of defiant punk melodies, the album goes back to being a snooze fest.
Overall, The Hint’s “Black and White Album,” is a pathetic example of punk rock and fails to captivate an audience over the age of 12.
