The Ataris only ever release on Fat Wreck, ‘Look Forward to Failure’ is a radical change from their previous offering ‘Anywhere but here’. Despite the quality of their last release, the Ataris have evolved and released what can only be described as a masterpiece.
Gone are the basic yet catchy tunes of their last release, and the ataris have added an extra guitar to produce far more intricate tunes. ‘San Dimas High School Football Rules’, also seen on their album ‘Blue Skies…’ (See the bottom of the page) is a powerhouse of a song; Kris Roe’s emotions come across perfectly in his lyrics, blending his perfect day with his perfect girl – Disneyland, Stand by me, las vegas and Wayne newton are all mentioned to produce one of the finest punk/emotional songs written.
‘Not a worry in the world’ takes on a much darker tone and a far more reflective mood; with Kris’ vocals gradually building into a shout then coming to an abrupt end only shortly after, and is similar in style to ‘Between you and me’ another track combining excellent lyrics and a genuinely original sound.
The other gem to be found on this little release is ‘my so called life‘ – a song dedicated specifically to claire danes – needless to say the lyrics are damn funny, so you’ll just have to check them out for yourself; with a chorus that on first listen sounds a little too simple but after a few repeats begins to get stick in your head like that Daphne and Celeste song you keep hearing on the radio (but in a good way instead of.. er bad).
‘My Hotel Year‘ and ‘That Special Girl’ both manage to be unique also, and are taste of things to come in the full length. By now you’ve probably guessed that I like this release, and you’d be right, because it deserves a hell of a lot of recognition – walk your neighbour’s dog, live on mars bars for a week, whatever, get hold of this and hear some amazing work.
nick