I never write album reviews, but I was anticipating this album so much and actually have a lot to say about it. So here is what I think about Go Radio’s sophomore release “Close the Distance.”

It is good. But that’s it. It’s might even dabble in great at some points, but it isn’t terrific. It isn’t awesome. It isn’t what I was hoping it’d be.

I’m sure musically it is great, it sounds it to me, but I’m a lyric person through and through. That’s what I relate to and what hooks me. And, as all of my friends can attest to, I view Jason Lancaster as one of the greatest lyricists of our generation. But, sadly, they fell short on this album.

“Lucky Street” was amazing. It was what I was hoping for. The lyrics pushed the boundaries of pop punk. It proved that the genre could mature. Bands didn’t have to simply keep rewriting the same sad love songs. Artists could write about the death of a father, a close friend and influence who had cancer, a step-mom abandoning a family. It was amazing. The lyrics were deep, they had meaning. Every song had a story behind it. But now, “Close the Distance” returns to cliche pop punk. It seems every song is about a relationship. Jason Lancaster is 100% capable of doing the impossible and even making love songs deep and lyrically beautiful, which he proved on A Lesson in Romantics. However, this album falls short.

The lyrics just aren’t there. They aren’t nearly as deep as Lucky Street, or even nearly as masterfully constructed as A Lesson in Romantics.

I’m not sure what Go Radio was going for, but I’m sure they achieved it. If they were going for a beautiful piece of poetry, they missed it. If they were going for their most mature album to date, they missed it. If they were going for unique, they missed it. If they were going for commercially acceptable, perfect hit.

(but this album will be playing on repeat for several weeks in my ears.)