THE ATARIS “End Is Forever”
With THE ATARIS being at the forefront of pop-emo-punk there has been a lot of expectations placed upon this band concerning the release of their 3rd feature full-length – and my verdict is that while they don’t dissappoint, they don’t quite hit a grand-slam either. With the boys from the Blasting Room taking over on production duties, this is the fullest THE ATARIS have sounded thus far with the guitars taking precedent over everything else, which I think unfortunately detracts from the strongest asset of this band – Kris’ great voice. On the other side of the coin, the 14 tracks on here display this band’s most cohesive songwriting packet of yet, and unlike their past full length, “Blue Skies and Broken Hearts…Next 13 Exits,” there is not one weakness to be found among the entire 41 minutes of music. So why isn’t this a grand-slam? Well like most ATARIS’ songs, there is just not enoug exigence to get me pumped up. Sappy lyrics often breed sappy songs and only on a few opportunites does this band examine their harder side. Then again, if you prefer the softer side of pop-emo-punk, it’s hard to find a more consistent band than what is presented before me. The lyrics however are thoroughly engaging and there’s a story to be told in every song – something that I value highly. The second verse of the first song could very well be the anthem for high-schoolers everywhere – “you fall in love / then break your heart / you fall in love again / it’s never ending.” Song five, “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start,” has the best title I’ve seen in ages (it’s the Konami code!!!!!), and I totally dig the lyrics to track 10, “You Need a Hug,” which is about someone who takes life a little too seriously. Something different on this release from products past is the appearance of the keyboard on a few songs, and some guest vocals by LAGWAGON’s Joey Cape. The artwork is stunning, and you can really tell that they put alot of effort (and money!) into the look and feel of this disc. It’s really hard to not like THE ATARIS. They may not become your favorite band, but their charm and knack for carving out classic tunes is undeniably appealing. As I said before, this may not be a top 10 of the year for me, but it’s one of the most solid, complete releases I’ve heard in a while and I look forward to hearing the new songs live.
Kung Fu
