Ataris

Seriously? The Ataris have always been a capital "P” pop punk band but where some of their equally radio-friendly peers lacked much in the way of substance, there was always a hint of a little more going on in the songwriting of brain trust Kris Roe. Chalk it up to a heightened literary awareness and a record collection that recognises that NOFX did not invent punk rock, and it’s easy to see the subtle charm of some of the band’s past efforts. Even considering the mediocrity of 2003’s So Long, Astoria, Welcome To The Night, for all its massive delays and label headaches, comes as a massive disappointment. Roe, in the past, spoke openly of his enjoyment of non-punk bands and on Welcome To The Night he indulges these non-punk tendencies full-force. The result is nothing short of awkward as fuck. Roe is out of his league in his attempts to replicate the sonic complexities of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver, kicking up the band to seven members and losing sight of the personality that once made his songs so likeable. Also, he keeps trying to sing like Robert Smith, which is weird.