They say third time's a charm, and this is certainly the case with The Ataris third release, "Blue Skies...Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits." For those of you who don't know, The Ataris are a pop-punk band with some emo influence who stem from Santa Barbara, California. The 4 members have been together just a little over two years now, and their latest release mostly involves three main topics...life on the road, the challenges of everyday life, and of course, girls.
From start to finish, "Blue Skies..." is an album that will keep you on your toes. Each song is very distinct, but with all 14 hits rolled into one package, it makes for a mighty fine piece of work. Most of the songs are typical of what you would expect from a pop-punk band...fast tempos, steady beats, and most of all, endless energy. But The Ataris throw a few fastballs...or rather, slowballs. The track entitled "I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" is the heartfelt ballad track (and a personal favorite) about a guy longing to be with a girl who quite possibly doesn't believe he actually feels the way he does.
If she only listened to the song I'm sure her mind would be changed upon hearing the lyrics: "Out of every girl I meet, no other can compete/I know you don't believe that you mean this much to me/But I promise you that you do." Aww...how cute.
A few songs later, they throw in an acoustic version of "My Hotel Year," a song about a realization that's happened while being on tour. It's not very often a punk band will include an acoustic track on their CD, but this song fits in very nicely with the entire album as a whole.
I've heard some complaints lately about the whole "punk" genre in general; how "all the songs sound the same," and how there's no "real talent" there. Well if that is true, then The Ataris break both rules, because they do try different things on this album, instead of keeping the same beat throughout the entire record. Their first album falls into the former category, but as The Ataris grew, so did their song-writing abilities.
As far as real talent being there, it definitely shows through. Another thing I noticed about "Blue Skies..." is that the lyrics come off as being very sincere. Kris Roe, who sings and writes most of the band's lyrics, comes across as very genuine. It honestly sounds as if he writes from personal experience and what is important to him, rather than just writing what he thinks people want to hear. It seems that he has seen and been through a lot in his 20-odd years, and I'm sure most people could find something relative in their lives to compare to what he has been through in his lifetime.
If you're into the likes of MxPx, Noggin Toboggan, or Home Grown, then it's a no-brainer that you should pick up this album. Once you pick it up, you should buy it and listen to it because it absolutely ROCKS!
Similar sounding releases
1999HangnailHangnail
1999GamefaceEvery Last Time
2005MxPxPanic
2005Strike AnywhereTo Live in Discontent
2004Sum 41Chuck
1999For Love Not LisaThe Lost Elephant
