The band's 5th album finds them instantly kicking into the noisy brand of pop punk that owes more to Weezer and the Get-Up Kids than Blink-182. Their dense, rough-hewn guitar tone would have still been radio-ready in the '90s. The lyrics are just as clever as ever. They began experimenting with the layers of sound and were not attached to one mix for the entire album, as they let the bass slide up closer to front and center on "Concrete". Guitars jangle and shimmer in equal measure throughout a song.
"Get Dumber" has a more clanging rock feel. It is pursued with a punk fervor. "Hunger For Death" might be the album's best lyrical narrative. There is an undercurrent of the 1950s doo-wop running through it. "Needed to Hear It" shows how they put the songs first and allow space for the vocal melody, and can do so without compromising the more abrasive aspects of their sound. "Paranoid" is a Black Sabbath song, but a more furious punk song. "Falling Outta Love" finds the vocals sitting back into the guitar as more of an effect; it is another song that finds the underlying influence of early 1950s pop as an influence.
"Cruel" finds more rock n roll flowing through their veins, as the bass line anchors the song during the verses. The album is pretty fun and high energy, which is what you want from this sort of thing. Some songs like "Best Revenge' work of their sheer lyrical charm. "Shut Up" really winks in the direction of the Get-up Kids. I'll give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me, but it's a lot of light-hearted fun for the broken-hearted. Out on Rise Records.
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