On January 15, boy band Why Don’t We released their sophomore album, “The Good Times and The Bad Ones.” A long social media hiatus coupled with the hit of a global pandemic left all limelights (the term used to describe the band’s fans) hungry for new music from the band. Luckily, the group decided to ring in 2021 the right way: a brand new album completely written and produced by the guys themselves.
Why Don’t We, consisting of Jonah Marais, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, and Zach Herron have already released several EPs and singles, including their debut album “8 Letters,” which was released in 2018. This second album serves the intent of breaking free from the music industry mold, which can be difficult in a post One Direction era of bands trying to emulate the success of groups that came before.
Since the album’s release, I’ve been listening to it nonstop. So, without further ado, here’s my song by song review of “The Good Times and The Bad Ones.”
- “Fallin’ (Adrenaline)”
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My sister and I were in love with the lead single off the album as soon as the band posted a teaser of it on their TikTok account. The killer drumline to start off the song packs a punch, and the mesmerizing harmonies coupled with the band playing their own instruments meant that I immediately put this song on my workout playlist. The rock elements in the song get me hyped up!
- “Slow Down”
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This song makes me want to drive around with the windows rolled down with my friends this summer, which is exactly the vibe of the music video. It’s very mellow compared to “Fallin’”, and this contrast is what makes it stand out as one of the frontrunners on the record.
- “Lotus Inn”
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“Lotus Inn” is very fun and energetic, and the music video is a sort of psychedelic spin on the concept of repeating the same night over and over again. Seavey mentioned that this is the song the group intended to play as the last song of the setlist for their next tour (once the pandemic clears up, of course). I can practically picture myself screaming out the lyrics “Cause I never want this night to end / Baby we could turn back time / Do it all over again.”
- “Be Myself”
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This song brings an authentic rawness to the record, and it feels very personal. Seavey wrote it about Avery’s experiences with anxiety, and its instrumental simplicity makes the messages in the song even more poignant and relatable.
- “Love Song”
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“Love Song” is very upbeat and positive, and I think this song is really where Seavey shines vocally. It’s, in my opinion, more similar to some of their previously released songs. It definitely falls along the likes of other traditional boy band songs, in the sense that it has a good beat and talks about love. It’s a cute song, and one that has grown on me more and more. It isn’t necessarily a stand out, but serves as a nice emotional break between “Be Myself” and “Grey.”
- “Grey”
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This one is the song that is most like a traditional ballad. “Grey” is one of those lost love types of songs, and is heartbreaking in all of the best ways. I think that it serves as an example of the vocal ability of each of the boys, and what else can I say other than I’m a sucker for the breathy falsettos in this one.
- “For You”
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I really love the way “For You” starts off: a few pretty notes from the piano before jumping into something a bit more uptempo. This one reminds me of something you would hear from Justin Bieber or Zedd on the radio: a chorus with a beat good enough to dance around to.
- “I’ll Be Okay”
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This one reminds me of “For You,” except for the fact it packs a punch within the first few seconds. This song is where we get the album name from: Herron sings in the pre-chorus “We did it for the hell of it / We did it for the good times and the bad ones.”
- “Look At Me”
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This song is probably the most mature that Why Don’t We has ever been. It also starts off with a very Billie Eilish esque growl, and even though it’s only under two minutes long, it definitely stands out as being the most risque and sexy on the album. It’s sultry and heavy-hitting in all the right spots.
- “Stay”
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“Stay” rounds off the album in a more wholesome way, taking us from the dark and edgy “Look At Me” into a song that screams classic Why Don’t We. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and it’s catchy.
Overall, I really enjoyed the group’s sophomore album. It’s reminiscent of their old sound, while still being a step forward into a new direction for the band. They played with instruments and more rock sounds instead of just sticking to mainstream pop, and they definitely showed that they were boys that had evolved into young men since the last time they released music. Although I wish the album was longer, and I feel the tracklist could have been rearranged (for instance, “Lotus Inn” would have served as the perfect finale song), I still feel that “The Good Times and The Bad Ones” is worth listening to.