Rockfreaks.net

Over It

Outer Banks

Written by: PP on 16/08/2006 15:46:12

Orange County melodic punkers Over It have influenced countless modern pop- and melodic punk bands during their 8 year career. As they are gearing for the release of their newest full length album "Step Outside Yourself", their old label is reissuing remastered versions of their seminal, long out-of-print EPs "Hindsight 20/20" and "Over It" on a single album to the delight of their long term fans and perhaps to induce those new to Over It into purchasing the new album in due time, as their latest album "Silverstrand" was not particularly well received by the fans. It was simply a washed up, boring shadow of what the band used to be in the past, with a focus on more mainstream rock with faint punk roots than the overly innocent and melodic punk rock the band was renowned for while they were still in high school.

What gives a song the status of a classic, then? Must it always sound original? Not necessarily as Over It show on "That's Life", for instance. You could easily be mistaken it to be "Making Friends" era No Use For A Name, or "White Trash, Two Heebs & A Bean"-era NOFX with a teenage, soft-but-strong pitched singer possessing an amazing ability to change pitch mid-song to follow the raw melodies replacing Fat Mike. Just tell me you haven't heard "Hey! Liberty"'s riff on that classic NOFX album before? But it's songs like these two and "Skipping Stones" that give you the chills. They were written when the guys were still in high school and you can hear the youthful innocence and the obvious influences in their songs. Sure, some may argue that on "Silverstrand" the band was far better as musicians than on "Outer Banks", but that doesn't matter if your songs are sub-par. Tell me "Tenth Grade" doesn't bring you memories from your teenage years when you were (if you are old enough, that is) listening to the likes of Mxpx, Bodyjar or NUFAN? Even as you are listening to these songs for the first time it feels like rediscovering your favorite songs from years ago- those whose existence you've forgotten but you'll remember the lyrics straight away.

And essentially, that's what "Outer Banks" was meant to be, a nostalgic retrospect on the golden years of melodic punk rock, when the scene was thriving with bands like Lagwagon, NUFAN, No Fun At All, Mxpx and NOFX at the forefront. While we are (with shaky hands) waiting to see what direction the band will take on their upcoming major label debut, this is a must-have for anyone who has ever spent countless hours listening to the aforementioned bands, and something you too will rediscover in ten years time from today and cry with joy wondering how did the band ever produce songs this good?

Download: Hey! Liberty, Skipping Stones
For the fans of: Mxpx, No Use For A Name, NOFX, Millencolin
Listen: Myspace, Purevolume

Release date 25.07.2006
Negative Progression