No Use For A Name – The Feel Good Record Of The Year

I was excited for this record the day it was announced. It’s No Use For A Name, any fan of skate punk should be excited. Like everyone does these days, the band slowly trickled out a few songs online to get some viral marketing going for it. It worked, the songs Biggest Lie and I Want To Be Wrong got people excited for the album and re-ignited their faith in the band’s ability – particularly after the slightly disappointing Keep Them Confused. Even though those two songs sparked my interest it wasn’t until the whole album appeared on MySpace that I was really blown away. As the record played through I was left in awe and thought that it could live up to it’s title. No Use For A Name had delivered a cohesive, energetic, and incredibly strong album and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the actual thing.

Now I’ve had the disc for a few days and have had the chance to sit through it more than once and while my initial reaction has worn of a little bit, I can’t help but still feel excited as The Feel Good Record Of The Year plays through. Afterall, this record encapsulates what skate punk and pop-punk should sound like and proves that NUFAN still has it in them to stay current and relevant – even after nine releases. The production by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore from The Blasting Room brings the sound to new heights creating one of the cleanest NUFAN records to date without alienating any of its raw energy.

The record kicks off with the two songs they had previously released online and they work wonders to grab you attention and pull you in. Right from the start you hear Tony Sly’s signature vocals that are not only delivered in his trademark fashion but also seem to be much stronger than before. The lyrics follow the same pattern that the band has always used with self-reflective, introspective and slightly depressing lyrics but with a sparkle of hope. The music is fast and energetic, with a fast drum beat pulsating through the bass drum kick, lightning guitar riffs and overlapping vocal harmonies. It then goes into Yours To Destroywhich starts off quite a lot slower than the first two. It throws you off a little and sounds like a Keep Them Confused b-side; but as it progresses the song starts to pick up the pace before ending with one of the best group vocal deliveries on the album.

The weirdest thing about this album is the diversified sound hidden amongst the skate punk songs like Under The Garden and The Night of The Living Living. The folk-inspired acoustic number Sleeping Between Trucks or piano led ballad Ontario stand out like a sore thumb but don’t really hinder the flow of the album. Other tracks sound like the intro to Rise Against song and on the bass line that leads intoThe Dregs of Sobriety is one of the strongest on the record.The Trumpet Player sees the most diversity in Rory Koff’s drum beat and the song shines because of it.

By now, you should know who No Use For A Name is and The Feel Good Record Of The Year sees them delivering an album worthy of their legacy without becoming stale or repetitive. It’s a very strong album and add in the Blasting Room touch and you’re set.