Punchline – Rewind

Pop punk never sounded much better then the way this foursome from Pittsburgh plays it. With catchy hooks, heart felt lyrics, changes in pace, steady mellow vocals with a combination of vocals that come near the act of yelling (somewhat like Taking Back Sunday). Steady drum loops, with a mix of keyboard, bass and guitars, Punchline gives you everything that you need in a amazing pop-punk set. This remixed and remastered version of The Rewind EP (originally self-released in August of 2002) is a amazing EP to add to your collection.

The first thing I feel must be said is that I just simple love the way the album is set up. As you know, it is called The Rewind EP, and it has 4 songs on it, all of which connect closely to each other. Play, Rewind, Stop and Power Off are the four titles, all of which has a meaning for the song, and fit together. That caught my attention right away. Another thing which I love is what they have written on the booklet when you open the case. Written in white on the black background is:

Simply Put. This Is A Soundtrack To My Brain.
You Can’t See All I Know…
But Believe Me. I Can See It In Your Eyes.Then, one you open the lyrics, all of those sections of words are highlighted. I just find that interesting, I guess its true, simple things do amuse simple minds.

Clicking the play button, what better song to hear other then a song called Play? This is my favorite song off the EP. It starts off with a chime, rung five times, then the songs starts off with vocals, of  “Learn Your Lesson” Then there is a nice little beat with some “woahs” in the background. The song stays steady like a nice fast paced pop-punk song, intill around 2:05, when it slows down for a nice set of near whispered soft vocals. After that there is a awesome melody, at 2:46, the near yelling vocals commence. And they are just simple put, amazing. They are just so powerful, and incredibly well done, like I said earlier, a wonderful mix of sound and music. The song is one a great way to introduce the band and this EP.

Rewind is the second song. It ins’t quite as good as the first song, but still a well done example of the band’s musical talents. It starts off with a guitar and bass combo, then the drum comes in for a bit before the vocals join in. This is a slightly more melodramatic song, which a couple faster spots on the song. The song stays pretty much the same throughout the song, and is done effectively, but not the bets song on the EP.  The lyrics are really good, “Rewind. Cause pausing won’t cut it this time“.  A little before the 3 minute mark, it slows down and has a wonderful bass beat which stays constant with the vocals and tune of the song for almost the rest of the song.

Half way done the EP, Stop is now played. It starts off with a good guitar rhythm. The beat of the song changes from slow melodic, steadiness, to a quicker and fast paced song and back a couple times throughout this song. The tune and vocals and spectacular, and weave together effortlessly. The song is most likely my 2nd favorite on the EP. And a good one for the middle of the album, as it keeps your interest to listen to the final song, which is called Power Off. This is the longest song (clocking in at over 8 minutes). This combines once again the mellow vocals along with the near yelling ones as well. The tune changes periodically during the song, one of my favorite parts is near the begging where it is steady, and has the near yelling vocals saying “Will” over and over again. It is a incredible song and a wonderful one to end the album off with. the last two minutes or so is a nice steady melodic beat,  the last minute though is completely awful. It sounds like something scratching, or like the old spaceship/aliens movies used way back in the day. I believe that part hurt the album a bit.