This one’s a bit hard to review ’cause when all’s said and done, I like it lots. It’s got some great lyrics that revel in the angst and frustrations that drive so many of us (some right into the ground) and the songs themselves are fine examples of anthemic modern punk rock when taken separately. My only gripe is that too often they cling to the same chord progression from one tune to the next. I don’t think I heard more than two songs here that didn’t include it. I know, I know, it’s punk rock, no big deal, right? Well, okay, but there’s two slight problems with that: 1.) Starting off with a whopper of a song like “I Am You” offers the promise of even better songs to follow; 2.) I’m the annoying sort that expects bands to push past whatever boundaries surround them. By my reckoning, all the remaining tracks are on an even keel with the aforementioned opener, and it feels by slipping in the same riff song after song, that the band is fudging and hedging a bit, happy to turn in a “jeez, this is pretty damned good” album instead of a “sweet minty Jesus, that blew my head right off my shoulders” album. When all’s said and done, this sits miles above nearly all the dreck claiming the same territory these days, but my personal hope is that next outing they opt to close their eyes and sail right off the cliff instead of just creeping up and peering over the edge.
–jimmy (No Idea)