Band : No Use For A Name

Album title : The Feel Good Album Of The Year

Label : Fat Wreck Chords

Distributor : Sonic Rendezvous

Release date : 28/03/2008

Release : CD

Sometimes abbraviated to NUFAN , this Punk Rock band was formed in San Jose (California) in 1987. Following 2 EPs (the self-titled debut EP on Woodpecker Records in 1988, and the Let 'Em Out EP on Slap-a-Ham in 1989), the band signed to New Red Archives , who released the debut full-length Incognito (1990), the follow-up Don't Miss The Train (1992), and the 1993 EP Death Doesn't Care ...before NUFAM signed to Fat Wreck Chords . This event happening just prior to that time (1994) when the US (followed by the rest of the world) fell into a frenzy for melodic Punk Rock, has turned the band into one of FWC 's household, and the genre's established names.

Since then, the band (current line-up comprised of lead singer/ guitarist Tony Sly , lead guitarist Dave Nassie , bassist/ backing singer Matt Riddle , and drummer Rory Koff – of whom only the first and last have been with the band from day one) has brought us 6 more studio albums (1993's The Daily Grind , 1995's Leche Con Carne , 1997's Making Friends , 1999's More Beterness! , 2002's Hard Rock Bottom , and 2005's Keep Them Confused – which took on a far more political stance than its predecessors), a live one (2001's Live In A Dive ), a split EP with Soda (on the Session Records imprint in 1996), and a couple of compilations (2000's NRA Years on the Golf imprint, and 2007's All The Best Songs on FWC ). Also, FWC re-issued the band's first two full-lengths in 2001.

Over the years, the band's sound had evolved to a much lighter & Poppier kind of melodic Punk Rock, and that fact couldn't be more clearly exposed as with this, NUFAM 's 9 th full-length studio album. Overall, you can split up the songs into more energetic ones, and ballads. Among the energetic tracks (which often are somewhat rememniscent to early Bad Religion , also due to the somewhat nasal vocal quality of the lead singer & the way he is harmonically backed up), there's the couple of full-throttle kinda ones concentrating mainly on a fast-paced and rhythmic guitar play ("I Want To Be Wrong" , "The Feel Good Song Of The Year" , "Night Of The Living Living" , and "Pacific Standard Tim e" ) and those which allow the lead guitarist to shine for a while (album opener "Biggest Lie" , "Under The Garden" , "The Trumpet Player" which also sees a bit of trumpet being played, and album closer "Take It Home ", which could also be put in the previous category). Then there's also the couple of tracks which wanna put you on the wrong foot at first, opening somewhat calmer before getting into a somewhat Alternative Rock mode with alternating energy levels ( "Yours To Destroy" ) or just being played overall with an Alternative Rock feel ( "Domino" , "The Dre gs Of Sobriety" ). With "Sleeping Between Trucks" , "Ontario" , and "Kill The Rich" , the album contains no less than 3 ballads, all of which are completely acoustic, but with different instrumentations: "Sleeping... " getting sparce bits of piano over acousti guitar, while for "Ontario" the main instrument is a piano which gets additional colouring by some cello (or violin). "Kill The Rich" on the other hand, also gets drums on top of the (steel string?) acoustic guitar. Another feature of the album is the use of movie samples. Not only to opene and close the album, but also for the opening of "the Feel Good Song Of The Year" , and "Night Of The Living Living" .

Thanks to a good balance and division of the several kinds of songs over the track-list, the alternating song moods really come over as versatile. After a couple of listening sessions everything starts making sense, and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll be singing along with each and every song on the album...even with the ballads! NUFAM had a good name in the scene for a good reason, and that is simply because they make darn good music with attention to catchy melodies and sing-along choruses! Check out the album opening songs "Biggest Lie" and "I Want To Be Wrong" (plus 3 songs off other albums) at the band's Myspace page (there's also a couple of videos for you to view if you feel up to it), and dare tell me these boys can't still make nice music!!!

90/100

Tony.