Fast Times at Barrington High Review

For half a decade, the Academy Is... watched from the sidelines as Fall Out Boy became the Midwestern kings of emo. Fast Times at Barrington High makes a well-deserved grab for the crown, flaunting a combination of rock & roll bombast and pop-schooled songwriting. It's albums like this that challenge the definition of emo, an amorphous genre whose current bands sound little like their 20th century ancestors.
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On The Academy Is' third full-length, the band throws back to those high school years. Fast Times at Barrington High works like a balance between of self-actualization, having fun and more importantly, reminiscing. Barrington, where singer William Beckett and bassist Adam Siska gloriously attended, is the guest star. It's ... cute. Charming, even. But what it isn't is a natural transition or even a step forward from Santi, the band's more moody, ballady and new wave sophomore release. And I liked Santi. Like a five-year reunion, or spending the holidays at home, it can be awkward. Charming, still, but awkward.
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