"Anywhere But Here" was the debut album for Kris Roe's band, The Ataris. If you don't know anything about the history of the band, Kris Roe was a kid living in Indiana, and he wrote songs for fun. One day he went to a Vandals concert, and gave a demo tape to them. (The Vandals also run Kung Fu Records) a week later he gets a call from them telling him they want him to record for Kung Fu. They move him to California, and get him some more band members (at the time is was only Kris) and the rest is history.

Anywhere But Here, you'll notice, sounds nothing like their current releases Blue Skies Broken Hearts, and End is Forever. The reason for this is explained during an interview that I read, where Kris told the interviewer he wanted to change the music style of the Ataris in order to get more popular, and to be able to get on MTV. In other words, selling out.

Luckily, Anywhere but Here was produced before the sellout idea came to be, and we are treated with 18 easy to listen to, upbeat songs. From beginning to end, this CD does not stop with the lyrical and musical greatness of Kris Roe. Not only is the CD good, it's diverse. Songs like Alone in Santa Cruz show that a punk band can indeed make a slow, sappy love song. Each track is beautifully composed full of emotion.

Have you ever listened to a CD, and had it hit home? This one does. I'm sure most of you reading this have had best friends screw you over - it sounds like Kris Roe did. "Make it Last" says it perfectly in the song - "should I say goodnight, go to bed turn out the f---ing light, and leave you shining in the past? Should I try to forget, you were my best friend, that's something I regret - should I make you last?" Basically saying "You've screwed me, you have been my best friend. Should I still try and be friends, or should this be the end?"

Most of the songs musically sound the same, at which most people will write it off as repetetive. However, if you look past the similar sounding songs and listen to the lyrics, you'll realize how deep it actually gets. While some songs are just joking around (like Four Chord Wonder) everything about this CD is brilliant. Except for Ray, that song sucks. It was the Atari's attempt at a hardcore song. They failed miserably. :)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving