Now signed to a major label (in this case RCA) US melodic punkers Lit return with a CD so jam-packed full of goodness, it should have a parental warning sticker, advising kids that you’re quite likely to get a big cheesy grin if you listen to this for too long.
With an infectious So-Cal sound, it’s really hard to dislike Lit, even if they may be too poppy, or not punk enough for your eardrums. Yep, they’re certainly sugary and sweet, but who cares when nearly every single song is a bouncy summer anthem?
With singalong hooks and soaring vocal melodies, Lit hit the mainstream head on with the release of ‘My Own Worst Enemy.’ If you liked their tale of a drunken evening out, then you’ll love the rest of the album. Opener ‘Four’ is a cracking start to the CD, whilst ‘No Big Thing’ (which was featured on a Channel 4 advert for T4 in the UK last year) and ‘Zip-Lock’ are pop nuggets of gold. ‘Miserable’ shows a more reflective side to the band, and Jeremy Popoff manages to churn out very simple, yet very effective riffs with ease. Last track, and the album’s title ‘A Place In The Sun’ is vintage Lit, all smiles and bouncy guitars ahoy.
Although there are a number of highlights, A.Jay Popoff’s crew do tend to churn out the odd duffer. ‘Down’ is a bit dull, and ‘Perfect One’ is, to put it simply, an album filler. A crap attempt at being different, it seems a little out of place amongst songs that are so happy and full of joy. The intro to ‘Happy’ is a bit cheesy too, but vastly improves when the trumpets kick in, and ‘The Best Is Yet To Come Undone’ is turgid.
But the good moments far outweigh the bad ones, and this is definetly a CD that any pop-punker should have in their CD collection, and blast out at full volume on a hot summer’s day.
Paul Savage