Man, I remember how pumped I was when I heard about this supergroup. Paddy from Dillinger Four? Aaron Cometbus from Pinhead Gunpowder, Crimpshrine and a dozen other Berkeley punk bands? Two other folks? Yeah! Count me in. At the end of the day, this record isn't re-inventing the wheel but the fact that it doesn't have that glossy, wall of guitars production that was influencing pop-punk towards the turn of the millennium is quite revolutionary. Before Protools and amp simulators, punk rock records were recorded in makeshift studios and in different environments, thus making the records a product of those environments, giving them personality and adding another layer of character. How fucking interesting! So this was a real breath of fresh air, especially considering the change in sound over the several 7"s that are compiled on this. Maybe this even helped make more bands feel comfortable recording their great pop songs in non-sterile conditions.
Anyway, this record rules. I still listen to it a lot. It's very short, very socially/politically pointed but without being preachy and the sharing of the vocals between Emily, Paddy and Aaron help keep the record from falling into the trappings of track 12 sounding like track 1 and all the other tracks in between. A lot of people describe the Cometbus fanzine as a literary equivalent to a cup of coffee and I think that Aaron writes the same way musically. This record gets in and out, gives you a lot of memorable hooks and leaves you feeling energized and ready to face a shitty day in a shockingly dull American culture that keeps slipping into garbage. Fuck yeah let's go.
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