Pennywise- Reason to Believe

As the last album with singer Jim Lindberg, Reason to Believe also proves though repeated plays to be the weakest Pennywise album by far. Released though MySpace Records (as a free download on the MySpace website/in stores as a conventional CD on the aforementioned label) domestically and Epitaph Records internationally, it really doesn’t break much new ground for the band. Truthfully, Pennywise’s last three albums could easily be mistaken for one another. Not since “Land of the Free” in 2001 has the band released an album that sounded somewhat fresh.

I have to be honest; the fact that Pennywise has a sound that distinguishes a Pennywise album from one of their contemporaries is a positive thing. It’s also their un-doing. Every song sounds almost too similar from the one that came before it. The first three tracks sound like they are using the same basic beat by drummer Byron McMackin.

The only song on the album that sounds different from all the others is “Confusion”, it is slower and somewhat more melodic. The song proves that McMackin is capable of playing something other than full speed punk rock beats. It still sounds like your typical Pennywise song, only slowed down a bit. This was a good start for the band, but the other 13 songs are carbon-copies of one another.

As for Lindberg, he sounds like he usually does on every other release. He has a good voice for his style, and I have to admit, I like being able to understand every word. That’s a big thing since a lot of “punk” these days includes a singer slurring the words, whereas Lindberg has never done that. Even in the fastest songs, his enunciation is impressive. The lyrics are typical Pennywise, which includes positive progressive ideas and questioning authority’s role in current society.

Even with some of these positives, the negatives far outweigh them and the album is just not worth picking up unless you are a die-hard Pennywise fan. If you do get it, prepare to be disappointed.

Grade---D+