Gym Class Heroes - The Papercut Chronicles II (2011)

Their first album back together since 2008’s The Quilt, The Papercut Chronicles II finds Gym Class Heroes returning back to basics and embracing the more organic, band-oriented sound that has made them the voice of hip-hop for the Warped Tour set. While past albums saw the band slowly drifting toward a more traditional, sample-driven sound, this sequel album really feels like a successor to The Papercut Chronicles. In a way, it feels as if Gym Class Heroes have been reinvigorated by their time off while Travie McCoy pursued a solo career, and songs like “Lazarus, Ze Gitan” and “Solo Discotheque (Whiskey Bitness)” have them easily delivering more of the infectious and highly polished sound that has made the quartet the pop/rap/punk crossover triple threat that it's grown into over the years. Tracks like these, where the group combines the raw energy of a live band with the carefully cultivated polish of a successful pop band, are where the album really succeeds, showing that Gym Class Heroes haven’t grown up so much as learned how to properly wield the experience they’ve gained as climbers of the Billboard charts. The end result of this is an album that’ll come as a blast from the past for the band's fans and should easily get heads nodding with its affably introspective lyrics and huge choruses.~The Papercut Chronicles II Review by Gregory Heaney