Night Sports

On the heels of signing with the label Fueled By Ramen, Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte, the Colorado natives that make up the electropop band 3Oh!3, have released their fifth studio album, "Night Sports." It's an album that is undeniably fun, yet lacking in many areas.

Starting off strongly with a track titled "Fire in the Heavens," the opening chant of "3 Oh 3" sets a seemingly good pace for the album, until it becomes apparent that it's consistent throughout. The energy never rises or falls, even as songs like the wisely chosen single "Mad At You" provide catchy choruses. Because of this, no particular song stands out.

The clever and fun lyricism that defined their previous studio albums seems to be absent as well, with songs like "Hear Me Now" rhyming "down" with "down" and "loud" with "loud." The first single off the album, "My Dick," is exactly what you think it is. Only, unlike the witty vulgarity of previous songs like "Don't Trust Me" or other performers like The Lonely Island, "My Dick" lacks charm as well as humor. The accents at the beginning of the track feel foreign within the context of the song, and don't provide anything but puzzlement.

There is, however, a surprisingly sweet side to the album. Love and breakup songs are common on most albums, yet songs like "Give Me Something to Remember" and "Hologram" shine while showing a tender side to the duo. "Hologram" in particular provides a strong ending to the album.

As for the production elements, Motte expertly engineered, produced and mixed the entire album himself. The music rarely slips into the realm of over-produced that haunts the electro genres. There is a noticeable lack of complexity to the music throughout, however, resulting in certain songs like "7/11" feeling bare in a non-minimalistic way.

Overall, the album is fun, but, ultimately, forgettable. The lackluster feel of the album, the absence of songs that truly stand out and the uniform nature of the album makes it feel like something that would be played in the background of a party scene in a teen comedy. You won't be mad if something gets played at a club. You might even dance to it. But chances are, it's not the album you're going to be clamoring to own and listen to in your free time.