Drive Thru Records Greatest Hits, Various Artists
It's fair to say Drive Thru Records has achieved a lot over the last few years. Having started up as a small label based in a California garage, the Reines siblings have managed to make their mark and form one of the biggest 'punk' indies in the world. The label has made such an impact that many punters even refer to their early 21st Century bands as creating a Drive Thru 'sound' copied by dozens and dozens of pop-punk bands carefully marketed on the back of the label's success. In its hay-day, groups like New Found Glory, The Starting Line, The Movielife and Finch made up the backbone of one of the teen punk's biggest markets. They were an inspiration to, quite literally, millions. This record marks the label's 10 year anniversary and features some of their more popular bands and singles.
It's by no means a comprehensive round-up, nor does it feature the best bands or the best songs. Seemingly more a partnership to mark their brief tenure with Geffen, this 'greatest hits' package features bands and songs that made the label famous. New Found Glory, The Starting Line and Finch are all here - although somewhat surprisingly The Movielife are missing. The choice of tracks is exceedingly obvious - NFG weigh in with 'Hit Or Miss' and 'My Friends Over You', for example, two songs which are great but there are better - while Something Corporate and Finch feature their well-known singles. Which I guess is appropriate for a 'greatest hits' set.
Senses Fail and Midtown also feature, although why there are two Fenix Tx tracks and only one The Early November song is a bit of an odd choice. And of course choosing Allister over The Movielife and leaving off the Rx Bandits all together is also a bit on the weird side. Having said that, this does go some way to proving why Drive Thru had managed to get a firm grip on the pop-punk market and cement its place as one of the major label players. Their bands have influenced thousands of others and this CD proves why. If you're a pop-punk fan and you're yet to get into the Drive Thru experience, this record is a real must buy.
www.drivethrurecords.com
Paul
