Problematic
Just as every punk bank should send a royalty check theRamones' way, so should every power-pop punk band send "respect" money to All. Formed in the late 1980s from the ashes of theDescendentsafter singer Milo Aukerman finally threw in the towel, All served up similarly edgy guitar riffs smoothed over by incredibly catchy melodies and sincere lovelorn vocals. By the early '90s, after several singers had come and gone, Chad Price solidified the attack, and the band has since consistently served up a mix of songs that either wear their hearts or keep a joke up their sleeves.Problematicis another strong collection--18 tunes that slip past, landing catchy hooks and even (gasp!) poignant commentary on punk-rock lives where aging is heading over the suburban speed limit. For example, "Alive" stresses a joyful melody, but underneath, these lines are delivered: "I never will forget the day / you heard your brother died." There's also social commentary: the indifference of the rich and powerful toward the poor and the weird ("Lock 'Em Away"), religious intolerance ("Crucifiction"), the struggle of minorities to assimilate ("The Skin"), and, just in case you thought they'd forgotten how to laugh, "She Broke My Dick," which isn't about anything more than what you're probably thinking.--Rob O'Connor