Descendents - 'Merican
by Daniel Cressey
published: 31 / 1 / 2004

Label:
Fat Wreck
Format: CDS
intro
New EP and first release in 7 years from catchy American pop-punk act, the Descendents, which serves as an enticing introduction to their forthcoming album, 'Cool as You'
It has been seven years since the last Descendents album ('Everything Sucks'). This has been their longest period of time off since singer Milo Aukerman went back to college in the '80s and became Dr Milo Aukerman. After that sabbatical they came back in 1996. Then there was some hope for punk-rock. The Offspring hadn't quite totally sold out and Green Day were still just about ok. This time punk-rock-pop has plumbed new depths. The Offspring are playing arena tours off the back of increasingly monotonous albums. Green Day have got fatter as their music has got thinner. As if that wasn't painful enough we have to put up with Busted. The Descendents were always slightly different. Their pop-punk was equally as catchy and fun as their contemporaries but they never quite achieved the same success. Their songs were always close to the punk-rock ideal: damn fun, short, simple, catchy, loud. 'Nothing With You' (first song on this EP) is better than anything the Offspring have done since 'Self Esteem', better than anything Green Day have done since 'Welcome to Paradise' and better than anything Busted have ever done or will ever do. At a second over two and a half minutes it is pretty much the ideal punk rock length. It really sounds like they never went away. The other tracks are a competent run through of the normal punk staples - a Bad-Religion type rant about America, a song to a departed girl, another about how they don't like being a punk band anymore. The hidden track is - shockingly - a slow song. Well, slow for a Descendents track. Two of the five tracks on this release are from the forthcoming album 'Cool To Be You', which is due out in March. The album and this EP are unlikely to win the hearts and minds of those who don't already like punk-rock. But I will be surprised if I don't see a large number of spotty teens suddenly sporting "Descendents" sweatshirts in a month or so.
Track Listing:-
1 Nothing with You2 'Merican
3 Here with Me
4 I Quit
5 Alive (Hidden Track)
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Sukie Smith - Interview
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Kim Wilde - Photoscapes
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart