Squirtgun

Squirtgun: Fade to BrightFade to Bright (2003)
Honest Don's

Reviewer Rating: 2.5

Contributed by: greg0rbgreg0rb
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on August 5th 2003Back early in high school, I was still new to punk and bought albums often just because I had heard their name somewhere. Many foolish purchases were made of albums and bands I never listen to anymore (cough-Pennywise-cough). Back in 1997 I bought Squirtgun's "Another Sunny Afternoon" and even bac.

Back early in high school, I was still new to punk and bought albums often just because I had heard their name somewhere. Many foolish purchases were made of albums and bands I never listen to anymore (cough-Pennywise-cough). Back in 1997 I bought Squirtgun's "Another Sunny Afternoon" and even back then it bored me except for a few songs like "Field Trip" and "Hey Louis". I rarely listen to it, and have not kept up on the band, assuming they were releasing album after album of the same stuff.

I saw some banner ads for the new album of theirs, and later got the CD to review. I discovered that in reality, they haven't put out ANY full-lengths since "Afternoon"! If I had kept up on them, I would have known that they have been busy, Mass and Dan playing in other bands like Screeching Weasel, Common Rider, and The Methadones, while Flav and Matt were back in school. Matt got his Masters in creative writing and has been teaching and publishing works, and Flav got a PhD in molecular genetics! Also, Mass of course has been recording at Sonic Iguana in Indiana, so these guys haven't just been sitting around.

So what has six years done to their sound? The answer is not much. They are on Honest Don's now, but it's still that sound Lookout! was famous for back in the mid-late ninteys: straight up pop punk, Ramones-style. There are poppy melodies in all the songs, with "Never Fit," "She's Ohio" and "Model Builder" being of the catchiest and also my picks off the album. There are a couple songs with a different flavor, like "Make it Wreck" which is a little less poppy and faster, and features "no's" and "yeah's" screamed by Justin of Anti-Flag. Other guest appearances include Kris of the Ataris, Tim of Allister, and Mike Park.

At first listen, the lyrics seem immature and simple, because when you only fully understand the choruses, you hear things like "Please be mine/ Woah oh oh" and "She smiled at me". I'm like "what the hell, the singer is a creative writing teacher, and we get lyrics like this?!" But then I looked in the lyric booklet to find that some of those simpler ones are by the other guys, and the ones by Matt are suprisingly well written and metaphorical beyond a simple analysis - or maybe they're just weird. For example, in "Kiss Your Language" he sings "My attention shivers, here's a ship / It's in a bottle, and a parrot giving lectures / I'm ashamed, I won't go dancing / All the landing strips are frozen / Maybe I can kiss your language." Ooookaaay…

The enhanced features on this CD are two videos- "Model Builder," which goes with the theme of the CD artwork because it is a strange-looking kid putting together the models of the band, who then play the song. It is all computer animated of course, and it is kind of low-fi and reuses a lot of the same footage, but it's still a good watch. The other video is for the song "Chemical Attraction" which is not on this CD; it appeared on their recent Teen Idols split and on "Pounded- The Official Comic Book Soundtrack." The song is not the best, and the video is mainly them playing the song in a practice space mixed with stock footage of scientists, all with a nifty red filter over it!

"Fade to Bright" is more solid than "Another Sunny Afternoon" and is an enjoyable listen, with more lasting value than most releases of this nature. I still can't say it will make its way back into my stereo too often after this review is posted.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

CountDruckula (January 26, 2012)

Make it wreck

AlexCanteen (February 15, 2009)

I just came across this album after hearing about this band. As someone who was brought into punk through bands such as MxPX (Life in General) and the Ataris (Blue Skies, Broken Hearts), this one really hits home for me. It has that youthful energy but backs it up with just a ridiculous rhythm section and hooks that don't get older as I do. A great way to relive those early days without feeling like some high school kid who just got rejected.

miguelhernandez (February 1, 2009)

This was an excellent album by an underrated band. The musicianship is phenomenal, and the credentials of the band members are truly legendary. The songs are very varied, from melodic mid-tempo to breakneck hardcore, and the guest appearances by the likes of Justin Sane of Anti-Flag and Chris Bauermeister of Jawbreaker take things up an extra notch. This deserves a "ten" for quality plus staying power -- the fact it is 6 years old hasn't aged it a day in impact.

Anonymous (January 3, 2004)

Seriously, do any of you remember 1996 when this was the worst band on the planet? I give it a 2 for the screeching weasel link alone.

Anonymous (August 9, 2003)

The reason you all keep saying that they're not breaking any ground is because these are the guys that helped define this sound many years ago. Not that Screeching Weasel were the Ramones or the Descendents, but still, let's remember who we're talking about.

Anonymous (August 8, 2003)

GAYAGAYAGAYAGAYAGAYGAY..But in a non-gay way...

mcpike (August 8, 2003)

i thought i was the only indiana punk.

Anonymous (August 7, 2003)

"yah make it wreck has a pretty pimped up solo. who is the guy who sings "will we survie this war" part in make it wreck??"

i beleive thats mike park

Anonymous (August 7, 2003)

mass giorgini makes me proud to be an indiana punk

fallingtopieces (August 7, 2003)

Mike park rocks!!!!

Anonymous (August 6, 2003)

i've never been all that into squirtgun, but i recently saw them in boston on their tour with even in blackouts. there were seriously no more than 2 or 3 dozen people there, but squirtgun played like the place was packed. awesome live show.