Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers
(Epitaph/Burning Heart)

Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting much from this album. Maybe that’s why it kicked my ass so hard. As soon as I started listening to it, the soaring vocal melodies and the layered guitar riffs really got me hooked.

The self-reflective and observational lyrics are pretty cool for what they are. I find myself relating to a lot of them. Plus they are all sung with that cool swedish accent.The drumming is solid and a bit more varied than with their earlier material.

There’s no ska on this album, but that’s no big surprise. Ska punk bands are dropping the ska from their music like there’s no tomorrow. By dropping the ska, and by slowing down the tempo here and there, I think they’ve found the key to perfecting the catchy power pop songs that they are so good at writing.

What can I say? This album really surprised me, and I think it could quite possibly be their finest work yet. — Sean