Go ahead and write this down: Anything Salad Dressing puts out is quality. Watch, now the label will get all arrogant, stop listening for something new, and start signing bands they feel sorry for! (Let's hope not!) The Kicker spanks out pure pop with a romping punk rock swagger. It's all good. And you'll love the wit, as in songs like "The Drummer," which urge the listener: "Someone shoot me. I'm a geek!" It's all fun 'n' games, but the band still finds a way to slide in some biting commentary. The song "Hate The Poor?!" proclaims that "You can never make everything all right. But you can get involved in changing one life. Your own."
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Brian A. SmithAt first listen, I was ready to dismiss The Kicker as just another pop/punk band that sounds like everything else on the radio, without anything that would make them stand out. Not bad, definitely listenable, but nothing special. Then I gave the CD a second spin. Yes, there are the usual Ramones/Green Day influences here, but First Word, Last Place has some other voices heard here, primarily in…Similar sounding releases
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