Don’t Be Scared
A Fearless Records Sampler
Fearless
This 24-cut CD features three songs apiece by eight bands. Which makes it tough for a reviewer to cover everything in a couple paragraphs. Dynamite Boy and Bigwig are pop-punk a cut above most of the genre, and Junction 18 is in the same ballpark, if slightly darker. Lonely Kings walk the line between pop punk and emo. Glasseater marries poppy punk with silly “I can sound like the Devil!” vocals with the result being more laughable than scary. All you At the Drive-In fans (and I know there are legions of you) can write in complaining right now, they sound like pretentious art-school types trying too hard to prove how punk rock they can be. The Aquabats bring a fun yet arty take to ska, with their first song about school lunches, then have a weird song about one’s arm falling asleep (the shouty vocals here are as funny as Glasseater’s, with the difference being that The Aquabats seem to get the joke), finishing up with a silly ska song about having a Martian girlfriend. Definitely the most varied stuff on the comp. 30 Foot Fall sound somewhat improved from earlier releases, showing a Screeching Weasel influence on their first song, Suicidal Tendencies on the second (which I’ve heard on more than one comp, unless this is a remake), and with their last song being pretty silly hardcore incorporating parts of Queen’s “Bicycle Race.” Program your player to delete AtD-I and Glasseater, flip a coin on 30 Foot Fall, and this is a cool comp.
Fearless Records, 13772 Goldenwest St. #545, Westminster, CA 92683; http://www.fearlessrecords.com
