When most people think about pop punk the first group of
bands that are generally thought of are the like of Green Day, New Found Glory
and blink-182. When you think you influenced those bands you automatically go
straight to The Ramones but there was another band who was a big inspiration in
the early days of pop punk. Of course the band I am speaking of is the
Descendents. Ever since I first heard the Descendents I have been in love, they
are the underdogs band. They were one of the first punk bands to sing songs
about the struggles of growing up and getting girls, something almost every pop
punk song is now about. Last year the documentary Filamge was released telling
the story of the Descendents and their other band All. Earlier this year
reports of a first Descendents album in a decade were confirmed. Here I am
going back ten years to review their last album Cool To Be You released on Fat
Wreck Chords.
The album starts off with Talking and that trademark
Descendents sound is back in full effect. Stephen Egertons technical guitar,
Bill Stevenson’s drumming and Karl Alvarez’s inventive bass playing all stand
out from the start before Milo Aukerman’s vocal takes the song to a new level.
This song about the strains of a long distant relationship is everything you
would expect from the Descendents. Milo’s vocals take the forefront from the
very start of the next song, Nothing With You. This is a hook filled song about
how great it is to sit and do nothing with someone you love. My favourite
lyrics are “Cause I All I Wanna Do, It Sit Around And Do Nothing With You,
Because Nothing’s Only Fun When You’re There.” Track three She Don’t Care is a
darker feeling track about being in a relationship where only one person shows
the love. Karl Alvarez’s song writing here is extremely relatable. The darker
feelings continue on the next track, the political ‘Merican. It is a song about
the frustrations of the way their country is going and feeling embarrassed about
some of the bad things it’s been involved in and the glossing over of such
facts. Dog and Pony Completes a hat trick of Alvarez songs in a row. This one
is another massively relatable song about not fitting in with the cool crowd on
a night out.
For someone who is a doctor in biology you would be
surprised to know the next song is about farting. That’s something I love about
the Descendents, not only can that write incredible songs about not fitting in
or the good and bad times of relationships but they can also write fantastic
songs about flatulence. Even the most serious among us will have a hard time
not singing along to the chorus of “Blast Off At Cape Canaveral, All Systems
Go! Blast Off At Cape Canaveral, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!”
We reach the halfway point in the album with Dreams. The
song starts out questioning why people dream and saying that if you dream too
big then you will wind up getting burnt. Before flipping the switch with some
great gang vocals going “It’s Time to Get Up Off Your Ass, Pull Your Head Up
Take A Chance, Grab Whatever You Can Grab.” Title track Cool To Be You is up
next on the album. This song is about the frustrations of being an outsider and
not feeling like you fit in anywhere and being jealous of people who do. Maddie
is the first song written by the legendary Bill Stevenson on the record. This
song is about fighting to keep the girl despite everyone else trying to keep
you apart. This is one of the slower songs on the album.
The speed picks up during the next song Mass Nerder.
Starting out with a complicated bass riff before Egerton’s guitar and Stevenson’s
drums join the party in a full on punk rock assault. This song is all about
being considered uncool at school for being a good student. The chorus of “Gonna
Kick Their Asses In Class, Gonna Kick Their Asses In Class, Gonna Kick Their
Asses In Class, Gonna Get Good Grades” is so simple but absolutely brilliant.
Bill Stevenson takes song writing credits for the next track One More Day as
well. This is a song he wrote after the death of his father about their troubled
relationship. This is a very sombre song for the Descendents but more fantastic
song writing.
Song number twelve is Tack, in this track Milo sings about
trying to get out of a rut and finding a new life path to go down. Karl Alvarez’s
bass playing really stands out during the last stretch of the song. Alvarez’s
bass and Stephen Egerton’s guitar really stand out at the beginning of Anchor
Grill as well . The Descendents can boast having three of the best musicians in
punk rock amongst their rank. Anchor Grill goes back to the subject of love and
finding the time to spend time together despite the pressures of grown up life.
The album closes with the song Dry Spell. This song is about losing your
creative spark and the missing the feeling of making something original.
Isuspect Milo Aukerman is singing about the feeling he had when he decided to
get back with Stevenson, Alvarez and Egerton to make a new Descendents album.
Whatever the reason was I’m so glad that they did as Cool To Be You is another
fantastic addition to the Descendents already amazing catalogue of work. I do
hope the next album is out very soon, ten years is a long time to wait for
something new from this legendary band.
Now listening to Sick-O-Me by Descendents
No comments:
Post a Comment