Album Review: The Papercut Chronicles II by Gym Class Heroes

Though frontman Travie McCoy took a solo furlough for his 2010 summer jam ”Billionaire,” the Adam Levine-assisted ”Stereo Hearts” has returned Heroes to the Hot 100 once again. While their fifth album, The Papercut Chronicles II, too often chokes on revved-up aggro crunch and laughable lyrical raging against the machine, it works when they jettison their limp rap-rock instincts and plunge into crossover pop like the haunting ”Life Goes On” and stealthily sincere ”Ass Back Home.” B Download These:Floaty Life Goes OnPulsing underdog anthem The Fighter .

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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.

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