Forever the Sickest Kids is an… emo? I guess that fits best–band from Texas. They have 2 EPs released–only one of which made it to iTunes, and a full CD.
Of the 14 songs on the iTunes version of their debut CD (Underdog Alma Mater), 6 are found (in various incarnations) on their EPs. So, I’ll review ALL of the tracks they’ve ever released, and compare different versions 
enjoy. I’ll be going by the track-listing of Underdog Alma Mater’s iTunes version, and then picking up the three songs I can find that aren’t on their CD.
Track #1 - “Whoa Oh! (Me Vs Everyone)” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 8.5/10
This is the band’s first single, and it’s very catchy. From the lyric gimmicks I live for (”I’ve got friends in highly low places”) to an amazingly catchy hook (”whoa oh whoa-whoa oh, why do I put myself in these situations?”) that is impossible not to smile along to, this is definitely worth being the first single… if I really wanted bands to end up on the radio… which I don’t, much. Hearing this at the mall, and on the radio (not actually, it lost its battle against some rap song, which I didn’t mind so much) kinda made me not like it as much as I should, after all, it is an amazing song. Great beginning to the CD.
Track #2 - “Hey Brittany” - (The Sickest Warped Tour EP, Underdog Alma Mater) EP: 6/10, CD: 8/10
This is the first song the band ever recorded, apparently. One of the band members purchased a song feature on Pure Volume before they had really done anything as a band, much less record a song. So they recorded this one. And it was a major hit. (Or so say the websites I’ve looked at… I didn’t hear about this band until a few months before their CD came out. Anyways…) The intro of the song immediately changes the tone from Whoa Oh! - the song is less guitar driven, and “lowers down” the pace a little, which is definitely a good thing. Probably the most second most catchy song on the CD. The EP version of the song sounds much like the CD version, a synth opening gradually leading into the guitar. The EP version is rougher, although the opening is better in some way… They changed a few of the lyrics. Basically, this song’s about “Brittney” a girl one of the band members likes (I think?), but she’s not over her earlier boyfriend. I think. Parts of the lyrics don’t fit with the rest (this kind of happens with a lot of their songs, actually.) I must say that I like the CD version better–more polished and smooth, and the lyric change was a good idea.
Track #3 - “My Worst Nightmare” (Underdog Alma Mater) 10/10
The first song I hadn’t heard of before, I was kind of anxious when I first listened to this. I shouldn’t have been. The song begins with a synth opening that sounds a little like Hey Brittney’s opening, but the song is very different. I love a good lyric twist, and I got one: “I never did what you said that I did when I was gone (You did what you said that I did when I was gone).” Amazing. An all around AMAZING song.
Track #4 - “Believe Me, I’m Lying” (The Sickest Warped Tour EP; Television Off, Party On; Underdog Alma Mater) SWT: 7/10, TO,PO: 8/10 CD: 9/10
The first track on the first EP I heard by FTSK, this is a pretty amazing song. On The Sickest Warped Tour EP, the song is decidedly rough, but it’s still amazingly similar to the other two versions. On Television Off, Party On, the song comes in acoustic, and eventually builds to a dance-y song. On Underdog Alma Mater, the song comes in with a little electronic, but keeps true to TO,PO’s precedent. If anything, the CD version’s actually better, as they fix the little bugs in their vocal levels that plague their EPs (the song starts off “…stand their while I stab you in the back (with the words) I never never never should have taken this so far. On the EP, you can’t hear “(with the words)”, the CD brings out the words that were there all along, but you couldn’t hear them–and I originally hated the album version because of this: “They added too many extra words!!” Overall, the EP versions are great, but the album one rocks the hardest. I must say I LOVE the little xylophone tinkle that leads from soft chorus to their “shout” chorus.
Track #5 - “The Way She Moves” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 7/10
This song starts off fairly disappointing, the singer is just slightly too whiny, and for the first chorus, I remained unimpressed. Not that it was bad, it was just mediocre. The little DJ scratching tided me over for awhile. Then you get to a slowdown. “It’s a terrible thing (terrible thing)” which was a relief, and the guitar bit brought me back up a little. (Wow, I didn’t know it took them SO LONG to get to the best part of the song…). But the only reason I like this song is the last few choruses’ filtered “away-oh-oh”.
Track #6 - “She’s A Lady” - (The SWT EP; Television Off, Party On; UAM) SWT: 5/10 TO,PO: 7/10.
This song is probably the least messed with among all their versions. Although it gets progressively tighter and cleaner as you go from The Sickest Warped Tour to Television Off, Party On to the CD. Probably the song I was least impressed with when I first heard them. It’s an okay song… but some of it grates, I don’t know why. Perhaps because of the lyrics “Take off your shoes, come in the room, and how can we fight when I’m too busy loving you”. I didn’t need or ask for that. Nor the repetition of “I’m too busy loving you”. Gaah. Although, the vocals are almost better on TO,PO than on UAM. Odd.
Track #7 - “Uh Huh” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 5/10
I think of this as the middle of the CD (and well, it is… middle of 14 is 7 after all). Basically, once you’ve passed this song, you can count yourself as liking Forever the Sickest Kids. This song has some good parts, true: “If I would have known what you were thinking/would have ran for the hills, and then/would have stayed located ’till you’re over it”. Very nice lyric. But the chorus confuses me: “Uh huh, uh huh, we’re doing it.” What are they doing? Oh well.
Track #8 - “Phone Call” (Underdog Alma Mater) 6/10
Along with Uh Huh, this is also one of the “middle” tracks. You could call them filler. Although, this is better, as far as filler goes. “All I, All I really wanted was a good job” needs to be heard. Probably the best singing in the whole CD on that line. As the song finishes, bits from the beginning, the end, and the chorus come in, and I like that bit. Overall, though, it’s not amazing, just good.
Track #9 - “Breakdown” - (The Sickest Warped Tour EP; Television Off, Party On; Underdog Alma Mater) SWT: 5/10 TO,PO: 9/10 CD: 9/10
This is by far my favorite song of theirs. The Sickest Warped Tour EP wrecks it. The piano was a nice touch, though… but they wrecked the transition out of it. Oh well. Television Off, Party On nails this song. It’s immediately captivating–you go “Wow. What was that song?” The CD version is pretty cool too, in fact, it’s almost better. Everything’s tighter, and it opens with an amazing filtered bit, and then goes into the song. It ends like that too, but the ending bugs me–the beat feels off. The only thing I have against the CD version is the fact that they toned down the horn bit. They left it enough so you could tell it was their if you’d heard their other versions, but it wasn’t enough (for me, anyway).
Track #10 - “That For Me” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 6.5/10
Hmm… because I mixed myself up, I listened to Coffee Break before this. And I must say, going back to A) the CD, and B) Electric Guitar is definitely refreshing. I like this song much better when it’s after Coffee Break. Hmm… I could say that of Catastrophe (which is after Coffee Break). This is a pretty good song. The least effects in it of the whole CD. Wow. I like this song so much better after Coffee Break. Anyhoo… I like the lines “But Mother I know you know I’m having a good time/I’m sleeping so little, but I’m living the good life/No need to worry about a place to lay my head down, no need to worry about a place to sleep”. The chorus is rather ambiguous, though: it could either go “I need somebody to rely on/and you weren’t that for me and you’ll never be that for me” or “I need somebody to rely on/and you were that for me and you’ll never be bad for me”. It works both ways, but it bugs me. Too much instrumental, not enough vocals? Who knows. Maybe it goes for both, since he seems to be singing to almost two different people.
Track #11 - “Coffee Break” (The Sickest Warped Tour EP, Underdog Mater) EP: 7/10 CD: 4/10
I’m almost scared to hit play on the EP version of this song. So I’m just gonna review it a bit before I hit play (I figure I ought to listen to all the versions of a song while I’m reviewing it, so I’m listening to the CD’s Breakdown while I write this *later* - Oops! I skipped “That For Me” haha.). So. Coffee Break is the slowest song on the CD. It’s okay, when you’re feeling in a pitiable mood. If not, avoid this song. I like the “I guess this is growing up” and the way that he starts “I’m two cups into my coffee break…” and ends “Now I’m done with my coffee break, I’m turning on my phone now that I’ve grown up.” But between then, it’s too whiny. Now to listen to the actual song. I actually like the opening–the acoustic guitar is good. The tuning on the singers… not so much. But apart from that, the song is better on the EP. It’s much less whiny. And it’s shorter. always a plus. I’m not even going to listen to the original Coffee Break.
Track #12 - “Catastrophe” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 10/10
I love the opening of this song: “wake up, you’re a drama queen/carry on like you’re supposed to be…” and it continues like that, making it my favorite new song. The only thing I don’t like about this song is how far back it is–it’s the last non-bonus song on the CD! “How long have you been in your bedroom? It’s been three days straight with your sheets and the pillow”. I love this song. Maybe because it’s after Coffee Break. But it’s an amazing song anyways.
Track #13 - “Indiana” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 3/10
This is the first bonus track on the iTunes version of Underdog Alma Mater. It’s probably my least favorite song on the CD. Not for a specific reason–it’s just boring, and it makes no sense. For one, it reuses a phrase! “We’re/we were two weeks in…” also appears in Uh Huh, which coincidentally happens to be another non-favorite. One thing to be said about it, though–I do like the instrumental at the beginning. But it’s too long, and it doesn’t accomplish anything. I’d rather they have included this “Give and Take (Remix)” or “Hurricane Haley”. Supposedly the last one is really good. I wouldn’t know, not having purchased my CD at Best Buy.
Track #14 - “Becky Starz (Remix)” - (Underdog Alma Mater) 10/10
Becky Starz was probably my least favorite song on Television Off, Party On. At least, at first. I like it better now (as you’ll see). Instead of just rerecord the song, they remixed it, to amazing effect. Although this song will end up really confusing if you haven’t heard the original, it sounds amazingly pretty. Featuring plenty of repeated vocals, a cool synth background that makes me think of old school video game music, although it definitely is not, and some piano. Impressively pretty.
Track #15 (EP Only) - “Becky Starz” - (Television Off, Party On) 10/10
Becky Starz originally didn’t impress me much. Listening to it again, it is one of the most impressive songs on the EP. Pretty much, the singer is flirting with somebody else’s girlfriend. And he gets beaten up for it. And amazingly, the vocals are slightly too quiet, but still amazing. Wow. I like this song so much better post remix. Strange.
Track #16 (EP Only) - “I Don’t Know About You, But I Came To Dance” - (Television Off, Party On) 10/10
I love this song, too. Perhaps because it’s not on the CD. I don’t know. But it is also produced slightly better than the rest of the EP. “You’ve got my head spinning, heart beating out of my chest/I’m a sucker for lovers, for lovers”. I love that line. I’m slightly disappointed that it wasn’t included on the CD. But I’m even more disappointed that iTunes took the EP off of their story after the CD was released. Very annoying.
Track #17 (Other) - “Men In Black (Will Smith Cover)” - (Punk Goes Crunk) 10/10
Forever the Sickest Kids also contributed a song to the next Punk Goes … compilation. Punk Goes Crunk. Basically, you have “punk” bands (you could label them otherwise, usually) covering rap and hip-hop songs. Some of which I didn’t know beforehand. Which I don’t mind so much. So, FTSK covered Will Smith’s Men In Black. And I think it’s amazing.
Track #18 - “Hurricane Haley” - (Underdog Alma Mater (Best Buy)) 8/10
After searching online, I found Hurricane Haley online, and listening to it, I’d have to say I like it a lot. Much better than Indiana. Speaking of, why is it called Indiana? They’re not from there, they’re from Texas… oh well. This song’s pretty cool. Nothing special, but it has a bounce to it.
Track #19 - “Give And Take (Remix)” - (Underdog Alma Mater (Best Buy)) 8/10
Hmm… the quality on the version I’m listening to is definitely not amazing. After searching online, I resorted to YouTube, where I found a chipmunk version–the sample rate is sped up so the song sounds like chipmunks. So I listened to that. And I thought it was interesting. Then I recorded it, and tried to slow it down several ways, before looking up the original track length on Wikipedia. 2:21. So I finally listened to the song in its mostly unchanged entirety. And I like it. Much, much better than Indiana. I wish they’d make these available to buy. Alone. Oh well.
Overall:
Underdog Alma Mater: 9/10
Mostly because it doesn’t include all the songs from Television Off, Party On, and for messing a little too much with the original songs, I took off one star. But the CD is still very good.
Television Off, Party On: 10/10
The only thing I could maybe do without on this CD is the roughness of the recording. But I still think all of it is amazing, and should definitely be put back up on iTunes.
The Sickest Warped Tour EP: 3/10
While some of the songs are interesting, the overall album is done too badly for me to want to buy any of it. “Coffee Break” was much better than the original, but I don’t really need or want two of them, so I’ll pass.
iTunes Bonus Tracks: 5/10
Basically a 50/50 split: an amazing job on Becky Starz, but Indiana’s awful.
Best Buy Bonus Tracks: 8/10
Wow. I’m jealous. The only thing, they don’t have Becky Starz. That’s how I comfort myself.
Men In Black (Punk Goes Crunk): 7.5/10
Amazing song, as an original. As a remake, it does pretty cool too… But it sticks almost exactly to the original, which is kinda boring. But hey, it’s a cool song.
