This is one of those bands that you don’t expect to see on a record label such as Victory, but they are. From all the bands that Victory has “spewed” out in the last year, The Junior Varsity is as far from the generic Victory band as they come. In the presence of “screamo-type” scenesters such as Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, and The Hurt Process, The Junior Varsity makes themselves known; not having too much in common with their peers. They hail from the Illinois scene where they slowly climbed the melodic rock charts making a name for themselves.

Victory took the album and made this band shine in a light they probably didn’t think they would be able to shine in. And what would that light be? That like is being one of the only bands on the label to not scream their heart out. Wide Eyed has the vast feel of emo-pop band in the making. This definitely feels like I could be listening to the next Fall-Out Boy, minus the much too catchy melodies and sickening vocals.

It’s definitely structured nicely and although is mellow, almost like a cross between Dashboard Confessional and Hot Water Music, it makes for a good dance party album. And, by dance, I mean get up and move around because the beats are so happy and pop-rockish you literally have to get up to enjoy them. Nice clean vocals are what make the band stand out. There’s nothing whiny about this singer's voice, and its not too deep to compare to a fragile Connor Oberst. This band has been from point A to point Z of living the life of a touring band without management. They didn’t just make it big because they won a show. They put forth a great effort in wanting people to hear their music all over the country. After their self-titled EP was released, you could really see what was shaping into a band. It wasn’t a bad EP, but you could definitely tell that the band just needed time to mature together.

Some songs sound the same rhythmically. You can tell by the intro to each song having that same little rock feel, and lyrically if you pay attention you can see that they are singing about life and love. In the song “Park Your Car” we hear in the chorus, “I wanted to show you //that I understand //I've been here forever”. Go figure. Thankfully their less than inspired lyrics don't detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the album.

Nevertheless, the album is amazing if you want something that teeters the line of almost edgy and catchy. So how can an emo-pop sounding/mellow indie rock/love song band be edgy, you may be asking yourself? Because they have a record label that will push them to be a little more rock, but their instincts to play what they feel deep inside will keep them striving to play catchy fan loving lyrics and chords. I definitely see good things in their hardworking futures. It’s a great album that deserves a listen.