Something Like Sound

Since 1988, Pennywise have been turning heads with their straightforward style of punk rock. Nearly two decades since their humble beginnings, the Hermosa Beach, CA punks have come into the spotlight with their new album Reason To Believe, and their non-conformist distribution plans.

Fletcher Dragge, Pennywise’s lead guitarist, in a recent blog, said, “We know that this will piss off a lot of people in the music industry, and what do we say to that? ‘Who cares?’ We’ve been pissing people off for 18 years. Why stop now? We have been telling people to get our records by any mean [sic] necessary for 17 years. As a band, we decided that it was time to come to terms with the facts. There are a lot of people out there who want their music for free, so we got proactive and with the help of MySpace Records and Textango we found a way to make it happen…we couldn’t be more stoked…PENNYWISE FREE TO THE PEOPLE.” Until April 8, the new record is available for free via MySpace, but does the album stand up to its publicity? Pennywise have released eight albums prior to Reason To Believe, so they have developed their sound into what has become a standard for the So-Cal punk scene. Each song follows their straightforward, high-energy format; the only difference between tracks really lies at the lyrical level. Unlike their past works, Pennywise doesn’t focus on changing the government through protest, but rather seeks to cause change within individuals through the new album.

“Goodbye tomorrow, no need to follow, I live my own way, I won’t go back ’til my last day, wake up and lead!” are the lyrics that ring out on “Faith And Hope,” an anthem about self realization and individuality. The single “The Western World” is a highlight that lies in the middle part of the album. A critique of stereotypes and western culture, the song pries at the faults of popular culture. The in-depth self-examination continues on “Confusion,” wherein the singer deals with issues of disillusionment and truth.

Pennywise has come to a realization that much of the music industry is still trying to find: music, like ideas, should not be controlled by distribution markets and economic gains. The band members pride themselves on allowing their music to be heard by anyone anywhere, which is an admirable aspect to the new album. For a punk record it sounds very much like what should be expected, heavy guitars and speed drumming, so in that aspect it is not a let down. The only issue with the record is that it does sound incredibly similar to older Pennywise.