Forget Dookie, Smash or Enema Of The State. There is only one album that is the yardstick for all things pop-punk. And yep, this is it.
If you have never heard of MxPx before, then your life has not yet been fulfilled. From Bremerton, Washington, this threesome originally released reasonably political songs with a Christian slant on the Tooth and Nail label. But in 1996 the trio released this, and became cult heroes in the process.
And whilst Green Day were all over MTV with Basket Case, MxPx toiled away with this beauty of an album, which despite landing them a crossover hit with Chick Magnet, failed to receive the critics approval. But what do the critics know anyway?
In short, this is a pop-punk masterpiece. Seventeen songs of teeange years, lost loves and small town angst. It is difficult to pick out highlights because this CD is so good. Opener 'Middlename' is fast and furious, while 'Move To Bremerton' has become the bands signature hit. So much so, that they now refuse to play it live. The aforementioned 'Chick Magnet' is a song for geeks everywhere, and 'Destroyed By You' takes a swipe at ex-girlfriends.
'Cristalena' could easily have been written for N-Sync, but played at 100 miles an hour, and 'Do Your Feet Hurt,' despite its cheesey chat-up line refrain, is saccharine sweet without causing too much decay to the brain. MxPx really have mastered their art with this CD.
Before The Ataris were out of nappies as a band, Mike Herrera and his crew had been there and done that. Despite releasing two albums since this, MxPx could never ever better it. Pop-punk perfection.
Paul Savage
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