JiggyJay's Full Review: The Ever Passing Moment by MxPx
Like my Dead Kennedy’s FrankenChrist review, I also delayed this review until I could explore the CD more and I’m glad I did because this is a great album (which reminds me, I should re-rate my Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo review…). What I just love about MxPx is how positive they are. I’ve gotten countless kids into their music instead of the cussing music that a lot of bands have now a days. Mostly all MxPx talks about are relationships instead of anything else. Plus, they’re a Christian band.
Yes, you heard right. They are a Christian band, but they don’t preach about anything in their lyrics or anything, just in their thanks’ so if you are put off by this, I don’t know what to tell you because you should get past it like I did. I was really hesitant to pick up any of their stuff for months, but I’m glad I did because they are great and a must buy for fans of Blink 182, Good Charlotte, and New Found Glory.
In my eyes, The Ever Passing Moment is the best MxPx album out there. If you are a fan of the band or want to be, this is the perfect CD for you. Why is it so good and above all of their other ones? Quality. Instead of the quickness that they had with their other records (they were rushed, you can tell), they took their time with this one and that’s why it’s the best. The lighthearted choruses, which are catchy and cool, are a nice addition to each song along with the great bass work on each song done by Mike. Something that annoys me on the album though is that it sounds like there is a second guitarist. Maybe, I’m just hearing things, or maybe there’s a fourth member of the band.
A thing that just annoyed the crap out of me in this CD (and that bothers me about all bands’ CDs) is that it has way to many rhymes. Some are clever, but some are just well-too-put-together-to-an-annoying-limit. The lyrics on the whole CD are too “good guy” and they are all about relationships. They say that they are a punk band, but punk bands don’t talk about that crap, they talk about real stuff happening in the world, and I just have to admit that they are way too soft to be punk.
Some great songs on the CD include my favorites Buildings Tumble and the closing track, Misplaced Memories. Buildings Tumble has one of the best choruses MxPx has ever come up with. It’s short, and Mike’s voice is full of emotion and the listening experience is at an all time high. It’s not too rhymey and it’s just a perfect song and Misplaced Memories on the other hand, has a lot of great things in it like an awesome chorus, amazing guitar riffs that intercept the bass lines, and electrifying speed drumming. It’s the perfect closing track just that I wish it was slower because then it would have had more sentimentality.
A couple songs that remain some of the band’s most well known are Responsibility and My Life Story. These songs are okay, but for me, after more than five listens, they just get annoying and I have to tell you that I always skip them because they have too much of a “boy-band” image to them. They have poppy choruses, and just ditzy instrumentality, but some might say that they are the bands’ best work.
The booklet’s pretty sweet showcasing the lyrics for all the songs and pictures of the band in the back round, but I just have to say that in all the pictures, they look like they are relieved like they just took a major crap together. They are always smiling and saying “We’re cover models” and it bothers me, but who cares, the booklet is still great because you can read along with Skinny Mike (Fat Mike from NOFX, Skinny Mike from MxPx…). In the back are the credits and stuff and I just figured this out: it’s an enhanced CD.
You know what else is cool about the CD? Dave Grohl makes a guest appearance and plays the opening guitar riffs for The Next Big Thing. That’s cool just by itself, dudes.
The lack of variety is pretty disturbing. The songs don’t blur together, but it’s annoying just hearing fast songs. If they had thrown in some slow songs somewhere in the album, I would just love it because I like slow songs and I just found at the end of the CD, there are no tracks with slow tempos.
1. My Life Story [4/5]
2. Buildings Tumble [5/5]
3. Responsibility [3/5]
4. Two Whole Years [4/5]
5. Prove It To The World [4/5]
6. Educated Guess [3/5]
7. Is The Answer In The Question? [4/5]
8. The Next Big Thing [3/5]
9. Foolish [4/5]
10. One Step Closer To Life [5/5]
11. Unsaid [5/5]
12. Here With Me [3/5]
13. Without You [3/5]
14. It’s Undeniable [4/5]
15. Misplaced Memories [6/5]
One of the greatest things about this compact disc is that it lasts forever. I bought it ages ago and I’m still listening to it because it has a high replay value and you will listen to it for a long time. It’s not one of those CDs that when it’s done, you put it back on again, but it’s still really good and will definitely satisfy you until their next CD comes out (hopefully soon). If you are a fan of pop rock and haven’t picked up this disc, you are surely missing out on one of the significantly popular MxPx albums. Give it a try.
Jason
Sometimes I sit at home and wonder if she’s sitting at home and thinking of me wondering if I’m sitting at home, thinking about her ~ Blink 182
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