Rather Samey
Ask your average British punk fan if they've heard of ALL, a supposedly legendary pop-punk outfit from California, and you'll get nothing but a blank stare. Ask that same person whether they've heard of the Descendants however, and you're in for wide eyed approval, a pat on the back and the unanimous declaration that that band is bloody good.
It's ironic to think then, that ALL and the Descendants are practically the same band – both are comprised of the same guitarist, bassist and drummer, and both feature similar lyrical themes. Many ALL demos have gone on to become Descendants songs just as many Descendants demos were eventually put to record by ALL. The only real difference between the two acts is their fame and their frontmen; whilst the popular Descendants are lead by the bespectacled punk icon Milo Aukerman, ALL have gone through a number of less remarkable vocalists throughout the years as they struggle to match their more illustrious sibling. Scott Reynolds, ALL's singer from 1989-1993 is one such person.
After leaving ALL in the early nineties for reasons unknown, Reynolds went on to form two punk bands; first came Goodbye Harry and then, after their breakup, the Pavers. 'Livin' The Dream' is a twenty-two track journey through the best both these bands had to offer, handpicked by the man himself.
Upon giving the CD a first once over, I was quickly taken aback at how similar the bands sounded. Though not too surprising a complaint – after all they both belong to the same genre and feature the same singer – I was still a little disconcerted at the sheer interchangeability of the two groups. Add to this the fact that many of the songs sounded alike too and the whole album began to devolve into one drawn out arrangement. Admittedly the occasional sonic deviation did occur, for example the dreadful bluegrass imitation 'Angel' and the piano-only 'Frog In My Pocket', however these were often too far between to successfully break up the monotony.
Recent examples excluded, every song on this album follows precisely the same musical formula: sleazy riffs and murky basslines are layered over hi-hat-happy percussion with the distortion is cranked up right up. Everything is played with a very loose feel, so loose in fact that it often sounds like the band is playing out of time with one another. On top of all this, Scott Reynolds wades into the spotlight to display vocal abilities that I can only describe as extremely limited. Perhaps that statement is too harsh; the guy does have a good voice, only his high-pitched warbling isn't powerful enough to get a foothold over the rest of the band, who subsequently drown him out with their overly loud instruments. I know punk music is best when it's raw and honest, but there is raw and then there is the chef serving you a living lamb on a silver platter. Unfortunately the latter applies here.
I don't necessarily think 'Livin' The Dream' is an awful record however – 'That Noise' is a pretty catchy song, and so are a couple of the others – I am a little unsure of it's wider appeal though. If you are looking for gritty pop-punk-with-balls, then pick up 'Milo Goes To College' by the Descendants instead, it's an awesome album. If you already own that, then I'm sorry to report that there isn't really anything particularly groundbreaking here except a fine example on how to fill an album with songs that sound the same.