We Are The In Crowd’s first full length album, Best Intentions, has been highly anticipated by fans. Best Intentions show how much the band has grown in the past year, since their release of their first EP Guaranteed to Disagree in June 2010. Multiple perspectives are still used in each song with both Tay Jardine and Jordan Eckes singing. The band stays true to who they are and keep a lot of the upbeat rock sound that we loved from Guaranteed to Disagree and expands themselves even more with a few ballads and adding a little more pop sound into some of their songs.

Best Intentions begins with one of my favorite songs and the first single from the album, “Rumor Mill”. This song keeps the band’s upbeat tone from their first EP, Guaranteed to Disagree. “Rumor Mill” is about exactly what the name implies. It describes hearing rumors about yourself and moving on from it. Tay Jardine, the female vocalist, sings “I lost the strength to keep my grip on the reality that / everything from day to day is / Fading from my memory but I’ll / never let this grow / out of my control and watch your steps so / you don’t fall into this hole you’ve dug alone” which implies that even though she may let the rumors get to her sometime, she will always keep a handle on it and set the record straight.

The upbeat sound of “Rumor Mill” is continued in the albums second and third tracks. “It’s Not Goodbye, It’s BRB” is the second track on the album. I interpreted this song as being about the conflicts the members may go through as a band. It can also be about a relationship. It’s about sticking through things when times may get hard; you’ll never know how far something can go unless you try. The next track on the album is “The Worst Thing About Me”. This song is about an off-again, on-again relationship. It’s about reflecting on the relationship, realizing who the other person really is, and moving on from it.  In both of these songs the male-female vocals tell both viewpoints of the relationship, just as in their songs on Guaranteed to Disagree.

Track four, “Kiss Me Again”, definitely has a much more pop sound than we’re used to with We Are The In Crowd, but with this song it is a refreshing and pleasant change. It’s a love song about two people who can’t stop thinking about each other. It’s about that feeling in a relationship where you’re completely fascinated by the other person and don’t ever want to leave their side. This song isn’t the strongest on the album; however it has incredibly catchy lyrics that everyone can relate to. This is the song on the album that I want to set on repeat on my iPod while I walk to class. It’s upbeat and fun, which encompasses what We Are The In Crowd are about.

The next track on the album, “On Your Own”, was the second single released from Best Intentions. This song is about a relationship where one person seems to be putting in much more effort than the other; where one is trying to gain trust and not receiving it. The lyrics “Before I have to go, before I have to go / I just wanted you to know, wanted you to know. / You're on your own.” imply that this song is about dealing with a relationship while being on the road constantly.

Track six, “All or Nothing”, is the first ballad we’ve heard by We Are The In Crowd. This song shows how much this band has matured and grown musically in the past year. The title “All or Nothing” encompasses what the song is about; it’s about putting everything you have into something; all or nothing. You’re going to have hardships in life but you can’t give in to them. This is an inspirational song that is a nice change of pace on the album.  

“Exits and Entrances”, the seventh track on the album, starts of slowly and picks up to the pop rock sound that we know and love by this band. This song is about two friends where one of the friends is in a relationship that isn’t leading to anything. The last line “It’s none of my business / but I won’t be a witness” implies that as a friend, she will let the guy know that there’s more to live than what he’s in, but she won’t witness him stay in a situation that he’s unhappy being a part of.  The sound of “Exits and Entrances” is a great lead in to track number eight, “See You Around”, which is slightly more upbeat. “See You Around”, is about a relationship ending and trying to move on while that person is still around. This is the song that I want to blast in my car while I drive around with the windows down.

“You’ve Got It Made” is the second ballad and one of the most personal songs on the album. It shows off Tay Jardine’s voice beautifully. This is by far my favorite song on this album.  “I can’t sleep in my bed anymore / my home says so little now” is the first line in the song and shows the hardships of being on the road all the time. This song seems to be about a long distance relationship that didn’t end up working because the other person was gone all the time. It is about two people that seem to love each other but can’t work it out; the guy in the relationship “has it made” because he can be in one place and have what he wants.

The last song on the album is “Better Luck Next Time” and is the perfect ending to Best Intentions. This song brings a little pop punk into the album. This song is about a relationship where the guy treats every girl the same. Tay Jardine sings about seeing through the lines and having should have known better.  “Better Luck Next Time” the song that you want to sing your heart out to. The lyrics and pop rock melodies fit perfectly together and Tay Jardine’s voice is incredibly powerful.

Overall, We Are the In Crowd nailed it with their first full length. After listening to this album once, I already found myself with lyrics and tunes stuck in my head. We Are The In Crowd has created an album that has a song for everyone. Old fans will not be disappointed and new fans will definitely be made.