End Is Forever is the fourth full-length release for The Ataris. I never heard of them until this album came to me, but right from the driven “Giving Up On Love” and its serious appeal I was hooked. They have all kinds of fans, from groups like NOFX to The Vandels. This appeal shouldn’t be reserved for those in the know.
“Summer Wind Was Always Our Song” roars with all sorts of punk bravado but is a tender kiss. It’s as heartfelt as any ballad Green Day has pushed upon us. Singer Kris Roe has a remarkable voice that goes from cute to shredding, from The Clash to Green Day without sounding unoriginal. Even with the occasional straining on tracks like “Fast Times At Drop-Out High”, Roe makes up for it soon there after with a delicate line that doesn’t let down. “Song #13” is the most mature track here as it comes in like a terrorist into a bridge that doesn’t seem to fit, but the chorus grabs you out of the uncertainty.
One of the album’s best is “Songs For A Mix Tape”, a track about trying to keep the one in your heart stay in your home as well. It’s sappy, but who says punk rock can’t be heartfelt and still kick you in the balls? “You Need A Hug” sounds like its going to be all fuzzy wuzzy, but that’s not so. It’s actually quite funny and sports a positive spin, well, sort of: “life ain’t all that bad/ even if Henry Rollins is your dad.” “Hello And Goodbye” is surely a love song, or at least I think it is.
The Ataris have everything that any other punk band on Mtv does, except perhaps the million dollar promotional budgets. End Is Forever is one of the better punk albums I’ve heard so far this year.
+ Rae Gun
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