Lifetime

Lifetime

Written by: PP on 09/02/2007 14:47:16

How Lifetime has been flying under my radar for this long I find incomprehensible, but it could have something to do with their self-titled album being the first new record from the New Jersey band in ten years. Regardless, their kind of melodic punk hardcore is without contest my favorite genre, because I admit to being in love with that simple and fast drumbeat all bands in this genre have in every song. But the pace it adds, the power it gives the songs is undisputable, making it a love/hate issue for most people.

Clocking in just under 24 minutes in 11 songs, Lifetime's self-titled pushes all my buttons like a perfect lover would. It's got the lightning speed drumming, slightly scratched but overly melodic vocals, production that leaves some edge on the fast power chord based guitars, and the kind of catchiness you used to find on old Mxpx albums that was uncontested by almost everyone. Think Set Your Goals on speed.

So without knowing any better, I'm going to say I love this album to bits. Many other reviews across the older sites than Rockfreaks have rated this lowly, saying it's far off from their supposed classics "Hello Bastards" or "Jersey's Best Dancer", but what do I know. Apparently these albums influenced bands as wide ranging as Thursday, My Chemical Romance, Bouncing Souls, Taking Back Sunday, Midtown, and Senses Fail among others. Well at least according to the words of respective frontmen of each band. That transforms the meaning of this band big time, and possibly justifies why many other zines rate this only around 6 or 7, citing 'more polished than their earlier work' as a general consensus amongst them.

However, I don't mind the fact that I can easily hear what vocalist Ari Katz is singing about with his clean yet powerful vocals. There are a few soon-to-be classic lines amongst the songs, like this one from "All Night Long": "Punk rock millionaires with coke up their nose / they're writing records in designer homes". The bass lines are chugging and characteristic on "Try And Stay Awake", the polished production hasn't fully removed the sound of fretting from the bass guitar either (think Shook Ones here). The guitar/vocal explosion that starts off "Airport Monday Morning" into a frenzy of melodic guitar and positive energy is one of my personal favorites on this album, and underlines the reason why, in my personal opinion, music like this is just so much better than anything else out there. The music, the attitude, it's all there, you can't help but get in a great mood. All punk rockers must get Lifetime now, it's possibly the punk rock record of 2007.

Download: Airport Monday Morning, Northbound Breakdown
For the fans of: Kid Dynamite, Shook Ones, The Bouncing Souls, Set Your Goals
Listen: Purevolume

Release date 06.02.2007
Decaydance

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