I had high hopes for this record that were quickly dashed. I'd been listening to Chuck Ragan's solo music for about 2 years when I bought this and it seemed like all the punk singers were starting out on solo careers. I figured a split between the singers from Alkaline Trio and 7 Seconds had potential so chanced £13 on it. It didn't work out the way I'd hoped.
I suppose, in hindsight, that it was my own fault. The key difference between the hugely enjoyable experience of Chuck's solo music and the music here is that I was a big fan of Hot Water Music, but I've never spent much time listening to either Alkaline Trio or 7 Seconds; I knew I liked Chuck's voice, I didn't really know what to expect from these two. The results are much higher pitched and whinny than I'd usually go for; the song-writing is sub-par at best.
Matt's side starts well with a well-strummed acoustic guitar, but then a full band quickly kicks in. I need to remember that just because someone is recording under their own name doesn't actually mean "solo" as much as I almost always want it to. His songs here aren't bad - imagine a mix between Alkaline Trio and slower-Blink 182 (appropriately given he now plays with them) but with an acoustic guitar rather than electric. There are some nice hooks and ideas, but no songs that grabbed me and made me think I was listening to anything particularly special. Next to You is the best of the bunch I think.
Kevin starts out his side with an annoying basic-punk song about a girl called Tracy (and relies far to heavily on her name) and then plays some songs that sound like a shitty Olivia Tremor Control (Ugly Mouth, Yesteryear), a stuck record (1981) and a bored teenager (Motherfuckers). It really doesn't do anything for me at all.
Format: 12"
Tracks: 10
Cost: £13 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 22/06/10
Colour: White
Etching: none
mp3s: no
