This is my first review and it's very hard for me because i'm only a german student who isn't the best in English. But i'll give my best because this album is one of the greatest i know….
“About time” is the third full-length album from the California punk band Pennywise and in my opinion their best. The style goes more into alternative pop/punk and punk revival and has all good elements of Pennywise` old school masterpieces like “The secret” or “Living for today”.
They didn’t break new musical ground but every track is punk at his best and all fits together perfectly. I don’t know how the album sounds originally because i only listened to the digitally remastered one, but the quality of the sound is very great for a 1995 tune.
The lyrics fit very well to the aggressive sound and are very deep and meaningful, so i didn’t understand so much of the topic of some songs. Jim’s voice is great and the background vocals of Fletcher and Jason are very harmonical and a nice backup.
So, now the lineup:
Jim lindberg - lead vocals
Fletcher dragge - guitars, vocals
Jason thirsk (R.I.P.) - bass, vocals
Byron mcmackin - drums
Now the main part of my review, song for song...
(1) Peaceful day
The first song of the album is my favourite Pennywise song ever. Because of only this song you should buy this CD because its one of the most complete punk-rock songs. The style isn't unique but a great mixture of well-known and great punk music. The lyrics are great and have a very positive statement.
The vibe of the song is awesome and when you hear this song you will sing along all the time. The whole song is very catchy and the bridge, which starts with expressive questions like:
"How can i live?
-when you won't let me in
How can i die?
-without reasons why...."
- is more heavier; with palm mutes and dead notes,
So it becomes an alternative touch.
The song itself is simple in instrumentally way, only power chords, some bendings and octaves, but it's so f***ing great i can't say why. The rythm will get into your head and Jim’s voice will give you the rest.
I’m very sure everone who likes any kind of punk will love this song, so check it out!!!
*rating: 10/10*
(2) Waste of time
This is with "Perfect people" the most different song on the album. It contains a lot fast palm mute parts and is more an alternative punk song with the well-known catchy lyrics of Jim.
The intro is very simple but also great with a nice distorted fast guitar and some drums and then jim kicks in with a nice yelled “GO!!!” than the riff is repeated in some variations through the verse and the chorus has this nice played very fast palm muted part....Fletchers guitar work is awesome in this song...listen for it!
In this song you'll find also good examples for the great lyrics of Pennywise:
"Or is there a heaven a distant valley a golden meadow waiting for us in the sky"
- This aren’t typical punk rock lyrics!!
*rating 8/10*
(3) Perfect people
This song is so fantastic I can't describe it.
Maybe you don't like it at the first-time-listening because it’s full of fast palm mutes and rhythmchanges and hasn't this great catchy melody. But after some listenings you will notice that the music fits perfect to Jims singing and screaming and to this kind of song.
the intro is this time a nice bass riff and when the guitar comes in, with full volume and a pickslide, the song offers a very nice guitar riff with nice pickings, which is rare for Pennywise songs. Then the song has this unsteady rhythm in the verse and chorus which made this song so different from the other.
Maybe one reason for this is the abnormal fast and varying drum pattern by Byron, who has so much energy in this song.
I need my time to get into it and it's a great song you should listen to when you want to hear good music (senseful sentence, I know, but I don't know how to describe it ^^ ).
The lyrics of this song are awesome and will help you to get through school and your jobs. *rating 9/10*
(4) Every single day
This song starts immediately with the fast power chord main riff, which is one of the best in the album. The main style of this song is like “peaceful day” but a bit faster and louder. The song atmosphere is very positive; the lyrics are about enjoying your live and make the best of your life situation.
The chorus is very nice to sing along and the part with the little part in the end of the chorus, only with Jim singing "every single day", and then the start of the main riff, is an amazing piece of music. I know it's very short and nothing special but it makes me happy and you have a great feeling when you hear it (another great part like this is the end of the bass bridge when the guitar comes in...), all in all very great song.
*rating 8/10*
(5) Searching
Now it's time for the probably simplest song on the album. It contains only some chord changes which were repeated through the whole song. But this song goes straight forward and is a f***ing awesome punk song without any experiments.
It starts like "peaceful day" and then the simple, but very nice main riff comes in after a pickscrape. The verse is only the main riff palm muted but it fits perfectly to the vibe of this song and in the beginning, which starts with “can’t run - can’t hide…..” Jim offers another style of singing which sounds really great at this part. The second verse part starts also with “can’t….” and contains Jims normal singing with nice background vocals which make you sing along with. The chorus makes the song perfect because it’s catchy with very nice lyrics and singing.
“Among an ocean of stars…..tonight I will rage – against the forces of fate”
The drums are in my opinion very great in this song and make it more exciting, the intro pattern is very cool!
*rating 10/10*
(6) not far away
If you like simple drum solos at the beginning of a song, you’ll get a nice on here. After some beats guitar comes in with an unusual tremolo on the E-string and a long slide down to the 5th fret, where the picking riff starts, a very simple and nice sounding one. The rest of the song is another typical Pennywise: rocking main-riff with palm mutes, which accent Jim’s singing in the verse. A long pre-chorus introduces in the chorus, both are nice, but after some listenings they sounding a bit boring. But the great starts of the verses are amazing; especially Jim’s energetic singing with some great lyrics.
“Heeeeeeeeey – I won’t rest in peace! “
……
“Heeeeeeeeey – get outta my way! “
The song is lyrically a very aggressive one with much energy. The drums and bass are cool, but nothing special, the guitar work is fine.
*rating 8/10*
(7) Freebase
A simple bass intro, great drums and a normally power chord riff are the main parts of the song. I’m said to say it but this song is in my opinion only average.
There’s nothing which made this song a bit different or something special, only the nice drums make me to listen to this song.
Don’t get me wrong, the song is fine and maybe some guys out there will like it, but it disappointed me, because the other songs are all much better. Jim’s singing is at is usual nice, same with the lyrics and you here the bass in this one very well, but it isn't that great because the bass plays only the same like the bass notes of Fletchers guitar.
*rating 5/10*
(8) it's what you do with it
"I know I gotta listen to my mind 'cause if it happens to me
I’m sure it happens to you sometimes."
These are the main lyric of the catchiest chorus of the album. It’s an awesome riff and Jim’s singing fits perfectly. The rest of this song is more hectic with a very fast palm muted riff and many staccatos in the verse. This makes the song more exciting because of this contrast between verse and chorus.
The intro goes straight forward without any intro-riffs or something.
Another cool thing in the song is the solo of Fletcher. It’s a bit short but very melodic and fast and this is in my opinion a great mixture for a solo of a punk song. Like in all other songs by now the bass is only average and hasn't some great parts or riffs.
*rating 8/10*
(9) Try
This song is like “freebase” in my opinion only average. It’s fast and with nice drums at some parts but the main parts of guitar and bass plus Jim’s singing disappointed me. The lyrics are comparable with “every single day”, but they didn’t convince me. The rhythm of the song is strange, especially the chorus. The guitar rhythm should be suitable to Jim’s singing but it only sounds odd.
But there is even so a great part at this song, which starts at 1:40 with a yelled “hey”. The power chord riff is very harmonic and very catchy; here is also a second guitar with octave chords which sounds so awesome, that I asked me why they didn’t include some more throughout the song. The following lyric part is a palm muted riff and fits good to Jim’s singing. It’s more energy-rich, especially the end of this bridge when the riff gets more and more open.
*rating 6/10*
(10) Same old story
A veeeeeery catchy song with nice lyrics. Jim’s singing is great again and fits nice to the vibe of the song. At the beginning of the song there is a very easy power chord riff. The verse is the same chords only with palm mutes, nothing special, but great. Jim’s voice is very high and harmonically at some points which sounds very nice. Then the chorus. I LOVE it. It’s very catchy, the singing rocks and the guitar sound pleased me a lot.
“I’m not cut from the same mold –
I don’t read from the same old story”
A little bridge with a great drum pattern leads into a very fast and great solo of Fletcher, matches perfect to the chorus bass line in the background. At the end is one more time the chorus with a second guitar playing octave chords and makes the song perfect.
*rating 9/10*
(11) I won’t have it
A very powerful song with expressive lyrics in the verse. The guitar is very great and harmonious, the whole verse very catchy. The chorus is a bit difference; very fast and with lots of palm mutes. There is also a bridge in this song but it isn’t that great. I can’t say so much about this song. It’s only a good Pennywise song.
*rating 7/10*
(12) Killing time
Not the best one to finish the album but a nice song though. Two guitars in the beginning make it a bit more extraordinary. the verse is a great mixture of ”Same old story” and “Waste of time” and fits well to the darker lyrics about violence and hate. The octave chords fits perfectly to the atmosphere, make it more exciting. Jim’s singing is very strong and a bit darker; it makes the song more expressive. The bridge fits perfect to the song, but has nothing special. All in all a very great song.
*rating 8/10*
At least I must say: This album is awesome!!! (That’s all ^^)
Buy it!
