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The Battle of the Music ReviewsSaves The Day FOUR STARS There's something refreshing about vibrant, young pop-punk bands. Maybe it's the fact that they play catchy, accessible rock and roll, but refuse to conform into the mainstream sound. The 1970s had the Ramones, the '80s had Screeching Weasel and the '90s had Green Day. Now a new band from New Jersey is looking to take the coveted pop-punk crown for the first decade of this new millennium. Saves The Day's second album, Through Being Cool contains 12 songs of pure punk fun. The five men in Saves The Day are too young (average age is 20) and immature to possess any rock star clout. They simply produce loud, melodic music that features plenty of power chords and fast drum fills. Chris Conley's lyrics envelop all the intriguing thoughts about loving, lying and "being cool." "Shoulder to the Wheel" is the first big single from Through Being Cool and for obvious reasons. It's a rock-and-roll roller coaster from start to finish and features the traditional lightning-quick punk guitar playing. "And we drive/Dave steps on the gas/The world that's flying by is slick and smooth/Just big waves of light/The radio is playing Queen/And we're rocking out," Conley sings on the tune's catchy chorus. Songs lasting longer than three minutes and thought-provoking lyrics separate Saves The Day from other less-talented punk bands. "My Sweet Fracture" is a perfect example, as it clocks in at just less than four minutes in length. It's about a self-destructive friendship and contains the perfect statement, "I'd rather forget the days we spent than try to stay afloat in shallow water." Punk rock succeeds because its heartfelt lyrics touch a chord with all the struggling suburban kids. Saves The Day doesn't make albums with the intent of "saving rock." They could care less about the normal crap that's part of mainstream music. The Replacements FOUR STARS The Replacements were the perfect college radio band of the 1980s, as they encompassed the beauty of punk and the musicianship of mainstream rock. Singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson and drummer Chris Mars performed on '87s ••Pleased To Meet Me••. This album came towards the end of The Replacements era, but it marked their finest hour. It contains 11 tracks of solid rock music, and even makes minor progressions with the additions of keyboards and horns. "I Don't Know" is your classic Replacements tune, meaning that it's full of rambunctious vocals and crazy time signatures. Excellent musicianship mixed with Westerberg's amazing vocal range make ••Pleased To Meet Me•• one of the better pop-punk albums of the '80s. Slower songs like "The Ledge" even manage to complement the loud, rambunctious tunes. ••Pleased To Meet Me•• most closely resembles the raw beauty of early R.E.M. albums. Westerberg took more control of the songwriting in the band's latter years, but collaborations still run rampant on the album. It's hard to believe that Stinson is the current bassist in the newly revamped version of Guns 'n' Roses. "Skyway" is a perfect example of Westerberg's folksy songwriting style, which eventually returned for his solo career. "Skyway" allows Westerberg to showcase his amazing voice and demonstrates what really made The Replacements special. It's basically vibrant rock music with a heart. If you think you've never heard a Replacements song in your life, then you may be wrong. The closing number on ••Pleased To Meet Me•• is a wonderful ditty named "Can't Hardly Wait." Yes, the late '90s movie took its name from the song and even featured it on the soundtrack. --C.J. Hartman |