Entertainment Weekly (p.77) - "[Their] just-edgy-enough indie punk has an endearing salty sweetness." -- Grade: B
Alternative Press (p.158) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[G]et a load of the catchy guitar riffs, slick harmonies and arena-sized drumming....It all works..."
CMJ (p.43) - "[T]he group pairs singer/songwriter William Beckett's emotive lyrics and rousing vocal range with a straightforward rock kapow."
The Academy Is...: William Beckett (vocals); Mike Carden, Michael Guy Chislett (guitar); Adam T. Siska (bass guitar); Andy 'The Butcher' Mrotek (drums, background vocals).
Recording information: Pulse, Silverlake, CA.
On its second full-length studio album, SANTI, the Academy Is follows in the emo-goes-pop footsteps of fellow Illinois act Fall Out Boy by adding both gloss and heft to its sensitive-guy, punk-influenced sound. Easing the Academy lads into their more expansive approach is in-demand producer/performer Butch Walker, who gives each track a sterling sheen, as evinced on the wiry "LAX to O'Hare" and the catchy lead single, "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands." Although some Academy diehards may be put off by the group's more accessible aesthetic, SANTI shows that a broader palette suits the band just fine.