Waterparks has been around for a little over ten years now, and their sound has predominantly stayed in the realm of being pop punk. However, in recent years, their sounds has become more chaotic and unhinged. “Intellectual Property” is no exception to the rule with some hyperpop influenced tracks.
Sometimes a band puts out an expectation and then completely flips it on its head. Half the time, it ends up being a flop, and it makes the band less favorable for instance Fall Out Boy’s “Mania” record. However, other times it totally works like with Sueco’s “It Was Fun While It Lasted." It is a fine line to walk in the music world as not many fans take change lightly.
Album Highs
“2 Best Friends” - 7.5/10
This song is an example of when the backing track and the lyrics completely contradict themselves. Musically, the song is upbeat. It's bright in nature, and it's all fine and dandy until one looks at the lyrics.
This song is about a person having strong romantic feelings for another, but that other person is not wanting to give them the time of day. So, in combating the feeling of rejection, the narrator is doing everything in their power to not think about the other person.
A great thing about this record is that it flows well from song to song. Nothing seems too out of pocket this is the perfect song for the leading singles.
Honorable mentions:
“Closer” - 7/10
“Self-Sabotage” - 7/10 (this rating is mainly based off the version they did with Good Charlotte)
Album Lows
“End of the Water (Feel)” - 5/10
The main reason this song is here is because of the backing track and how repetitive the lyrics are. This track does not show off some of the better qualities of the record, which includes its ability to flow well and fit in, along with lyrical uniqueness.
Lyrically, it is not their magnum opus. However, one thing that is pretty cool about some of the songs on this record is that there are some interesting outros/intros. This one in particular has a little dialogue from the youtuber Kurtis Conner, so that is a plus.
Not-so-honorable mentions:
“A Night Out On Earth” - 6/10
Overview
To answer the question in the beginning: it’s complicated. This record is experimental in a lot of ways, both good and not-so-good. Overall, this record is going to be a hard one to warm up to, and it’s not for everyone. However, it can be done.
More: Honey Revenge’s ‘Airhead’ is a force to be reckoned with
More: Underrated songs from notorious emo bands
I rate “Intellectual Property" a 6 out of 10.
