Let It Happen: Cause + Effect

If you look at the comments section of the YouTube video for “High and Dry” from this Cincinnati, Ohio, band’s latest release, Cause + Effect, it becomes apparent that this outfit clearly has its share of fans. “This is fucking astonishing. I’d love to hear more from these guys! “ “Wow, this absolutely blew my expectations out of the water! I will pre-order the shit out of this!” “Simply fucking awesome.” “Fucking rad, these dudes stepped it up .” So, while, yes, people who seem to be into this band have outstanding potty mouths, there’s a reason why expletives might be necessary when describing Let It Happen. Full of crunchy pop-rock hooks, this album delivers, even if it might be a little on the samey side. There’s a sense of nostalgia that permeates the disc, such as on the song “Heavy Pages Are Harder to Turn”, where the sound of an old-school film projector starting up can be heard at the start of the track, ending with the same sound slowing down and stopping.

Basically, you’ve heard the songs on Cause + Effect somewhere else, and I’m thinking of bands such as Jimmy Eat World for some reason. Still, these are pretty good songs, mostly of the peppy, upbeat variety. You know, the sort of thing you would probably find on the soundtrack to a skateboarding video. If that sounds tempting, then Let It Happen is the band for you. These guys know how to shred, know their way around a decent hook, and aren’t afraid to strum their electric guitars every now and then. It’s sense of familiarity kind of weighs against it, but if you like more of the same sort of thing you might find on modern rock radio, then Let It Happen aptly delivers on that score. Obviously, there’s nothing terribly groundbreaking on Cause + Effect, but that just may satisfy and the album comes off as being highly pleasurable pop-rock. This is an LP that hits all of its marks. Nothing more, nothing less. Let It Happen is just a band that wants to show you a good time. Time will tell if you will go on to remember it.