Want

If you ever find yourself posing and posturing in front of a mirror while blasting some bangin' but decidedly mainstream rap songs you might want to take a listen to 3oh!3. While this Colorado based duo aren't quite rap, they create music that's designed to make you want to throw on a fresh baseball cap, some sunglasses maybe, a white tee quite possibly, and then attempt to look cool while singing the lyrics (a mirror isn't essential, but does help the experience). It's almost guaranteed you will look utterly ridiculous to onlookers, but who cares...in "Want," 3oh!3 presents a solid if not somewhat repetitive offering of "poser rap."

But as I said, 3oh!3 isn't exactly rap. They are more likely to sing and harmonize than spit hotness. But they do offer a tongue in cheek sampling of rap's quintessential themes...the glorification of women and partying. Their beats are purely synthetic, but aren't too far off from something Flo-Rida might rap over. It's mainstream rap coated with a gleaming electronic finish, and some Sublime and Metro Train sprinkled on top. Being that they are simply skinny white boys, they only pull it off because of the farcical nature in which they present their material.

"Punk B*tch" is a prime example of one of their songs that contains these elements. The lyrics (When I come up in the club, I'm talking mad shit, Come up in the club I'm 'bout to get my ass kicked) are basic, unoriginal, but really, really cool. Hearing them speak about "Sippin on some gin, sip, sipping on some jack" wouldn't have quite the same impact as heard from Ludacris, Flo-Rida, or 50 Cent...but from 3oh!3 it's something you want to scream at the top of your lungs. It's a really great song.

Their radio hit, "Don't Trust Me," is catchy and facetiously misogynistic, and it too is something that you might catch yourself belting out loud while in front of a mirror.

If there is a problem on the album, it's with the striking similarity between the sound on all the songs. The formula, unfortunately, does get stale after a while. There's only so much bass and synth one can handle in one sitting. "I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby" is a solid, slightly meandering track, but listening to it after "Chokechain" or "Holler Til You Pass Out" makes it lose any impact. It can be fun to pose in front of the mirror trying to look "gangster," but after a while, it can get boring.

While there are some tracks that break the mold, offering a more melodic and melancholy sound ("Still Around," "Colorado Sunrise"), they're somewhat lame.

"Want" maintains a consistent sound, but not a consistent quality.