37 Everywhere

Description

Taking cues from 2004's Action, Pittsburgh's Punchline return with a heavy dose of wired pop-punk on their sophomore Fueled by Ramen full-length, 37 Everywhere. Boasting catchy hooks, three tradeoff vocalists, and singalong melodies, their sound remains consistent with past releases -- which is to say it's also consistent with many of their pop-oriented labelmates. However, the guys have been around a bit longer than some of their peers forming in 1997, and it's presumably their seasoned nature that mercifully helps the guys stay away from the eyeliner clichs and hyper-ironic lyrics plaguing their younger counterparts. Their angst is of an older variety, therefore making the album ideal for aging pop-punkers and by that, an age of twenty-something is implied who still love the music but are quickly outgrowing melodramatic tales of high-school anguish. Even as Punchline were never drenched in sugary sweetness to begin with, 37 Everywhere finds them adopting a more robust sound than before in conjunction with been-around-the-block lyrics that rely for the most part on optimism more than weariness. "Flashlight" is one of the best tracks on the album -- with thick, strong hooks that border on a feeling of manic exuberance -- but, unfortunately, it sets the bar slightly too high for the rest of the album to reach. Coming close, though, are "The Fake, the Snake, and the Birthday Cake," a breakup tune for dancing and clapping along, and the driving, buoyant chorus of "Green Light." However, the latter also owns the first cringe-worthy attempt to reach vocal notes that just don't want to be reached. The underlying bassline of "They Are Strong Hands" gives the song a funky, almost ska-like feel, but the chorus dis