Have you ever had a friend? Ever had a girlfriend? Ever lived? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you NEED this album. This record is the epitomy of modern pop-punk, that sits alongside ‘Life In General’ by MxPx and ‘Dude Ranch’ by Blink 182 as the standout of the genre. Look at any of the new crop of pop-punk bands (Mest, Fallout Boy, Matchbook Romance) and you can easily see the ways that Kris Roe’s love-lorn masterpiece has influenced them. This is the Ataris second album, and is the one that saved their record deal with Kung-Fu, so you could say that it made the band who they are today. It includes classics such as ‘San Dimas High School Football Rules’, ‘Your Boyfriend Sucks’ and ‘I Wont Spend Another Night Alone’ (which is also on the new record, ‘So Long Astoria’). I have no doubt many people have now heard of the band through new record SLA, but trust me anyone who even slightly likes that record will love this one.

From the first chord of opener ‘Losing Streak’, an awesome song about friendship, I am drawn into this record, entranced by Kris’s honest and open lyrics, captivated by the sublime sugary melodies, and blown away by the sheer passion shown throughout. There is not a single weak track here, and if you put this CD on, you’re in it for the whole ride, you just cannot stop listening. Sure there are more complex, more musically accomplished records out. But if you want passion, honesty and a whole lot more, you don’t need anything else. The Ataris have a reputation for writing songs just about break-ups and girls, but look deeper, there work is so much more. I cannot recommend this album enough, it records like this that make summer so much better

(10 out of 10)