Face to Face

It doesn't take more than one cursory spin through the fourth album from the former poster boys for SoCal pop-punk to realise this is not the same band that recorded the classic Don't Look Back or Big Choice records. Sure, they have the same name and a couple of the members are the same, but man oh man, where's the edge? Having almost entirely abandoned their past, Ignorance is Bliss is an uninspired, formulaic, over-produced rawk record intended for one thing only: radio airplay. It sounds at times like latter day Social Distortion and at others like Oasis. There's nothing wrong with bands growing, maturing and doing whatever else comes over time, but the evolution to a different sound has to be organic. This sounds forced; like Trever Keith felt under pressure to write a album that would sell well instead of satisfy a creative urge. If this is the best they can do, they should call it a day now.