‘As Cruel As School Children’ is an album that’s “too rock to be hip hop and too hip hop to be rock”, with a perfect mix that’s nothing “cruel” to your ears. From its funky concept to catchy tunes, this album will surely keep your CD player busy. Hardcore hip hop fans will most likely turn it down since it is more of a sanitised version of the genre, with lyrics blended with a rock influence. For me that works nicely, and with an open mind these catchy tunes will appeal to anyone up for a good time.

The group is made up of by vocalist Travis McCoy, drummer Matt McGinley, guitarrist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts. McCoy and McGinley started the group while still in high school. By 2001, the full group was formed. Their third album, ‘As Cruel As School Children’, follows themes like girls, life, emotions and, umm, more girls.

The school concept around the album works great; songs resemble different class periods, while intermissions like ‘Sloppy Love Jingle’ – an acapella song split in three parts – are considered as a lunch break, study hall and detention. Of course there’s also a yearbook club for the interlude, ‘Boys in Bands’, and an intramural presentation of their massively popular ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’, a song where they partner with Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. If you haven’t checked that song’s video, do it. It’s very good. Actually, check all of them; they’re consistently interesting.

The album starts with ‘The Queen and I’, a track with a Latin style guitar that stands out against lyrics like; “Oh no, she’s at the bottom of that bottle. She’s only one more swallow, from being oh so hollow.” Definitely one of the best tracks of the bunch. ‘Shoot Down The stars’, a more toned down version than the previous track, has a great flow and a more serious chorus. One of the things you’ll notice is that the album balances from the ridiculously funny – like ‘New Friend Request’, which mocks someone’s myspace’s obsession – to the more personal, like ‘7 Weeks’, which features William Becket from The Academy Is… Fun tracks like ‘Clothes Off’ – featuring Patrick Stump again – and ‘Scandalous Scholastics’ will make you shake your body, or at least nod your head.

‘As Cruel As School Children’ is not an album for everyone. If you’re hardcore I won’t suggest it. But for those who are willing to enjoy something different than the current trend and who aren’t bothered by an album that focuses mostly in capturing the essence of musical entertainment, you’ll find this album not too cruel at all.