"Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)" (CD single)

What’s the Story?

This summer, thousands of teens around the country will hit the Vans Warped Tour, a festival-style collection of various punk-oriented bands including All Time Low -- a group of four guys whose single DAMNED IF I DO YA (DAMNED IF I DON'T) is climbing the charts. Though the song contains an eyebrow-raising title and a few lyrics about crime scenes and tequila shots, it's largely punk-lite, avoiding any seriously deranged messages in favor of a recurring young adult theme: the inability to end an unhealthy romantic relationship. Despite the touchy subject, the band steers clear of slander in describing the ups-and-downs of this theme: "How was I supposed to know / That you were oh, oh, over me? / I think that I should go / Something's telling me to leave, but I won't / 'Cause I'm damned if I do ya, damned if I don't."

Is It Any Good?

Lyrically and musically, this track is much less hardcore than traditional punk, with a pop-friendly tone that gives it a more broad-based appeal. It offers some catchy hooks, including a fun "oh-oh-oh" refrain and a combined drum-clap vein throughout, that should make for an entertaining live performance on the Vans Tour this summer. Yet as the summer dies down, so, too, should this fairly run-of-the-mill song's popularity.