Originality is overrated in pop music, really -- it's one of those things that only critics care about. There's definitely something to be said for simply mastering a genre and burrowing into it as deep as you can, not necessarily bringing anything really new to the table but giving your chosen style something of a personal stamp and making it sound effortless and fun. That's pretty much what
Side Walk Slam has done with the pop-punk genre that is popularly identified with bands like
Green Day and
blink-182.
Side Walk Slam's hooks aren't quite as blissfully obvious as those of its predecessors, but there's plenty to sing along with here and lots of pretty background harmonies washing up against the rock-hard layers of guitar and machine-gun drumming. And although
Side Walk Slam is, yes, a Christian band, only one song on this album -- the very fine "Stand Alone" -- comes close to preaching about anything, and what it preaches is independence of mind and a willingness to go against the tide of fashion. Who's going to argue with that? Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson