Pennywise

Punk stalwarts Pennywise have sparked two revolutions with their latest album Reason to Believe. The first and most obvious comes with their chosen method of distribution. Reason to Believe will be released for free via MySpace.com for a two-week period—March 25th until April 8th. The album is one of many great new releases on MySpace Records, but this choice for distribution is nothing short of groundbreaking. However, the second revolution proves far more important than that even. Sonically, the band have grown into a much tighter, sharper and more poignant outfit on Reason. Consequentially, it's their best record to date. The riffs come fast and furious on "Something to Live For" and "One Reason." In fact, the SoCal quartet have grown into a more metallic outfit on salvos like "We'll Never Know," where guitarist Fletcher Dragge truly shines, pumping out infectious riff after riff. Musically, the band have never sounded better. Randy Bradbury's bass thumps with a pronounced call-to-arms, as Byron McMackin bashes away behind the kit. Jim Lindberg remains punk's resident poet laureate. "The Western World" dissects our current culture and offers a call for change, while closer "I'll Die for You" is fist pumping and engaging. This is Pennywise at their finest, but if this album's any indication, they're only going to continue evolving. Join the revolution today.

—Rick Florino
03.17.08

Pennywise plays it safe with Reason to Believe, sticking with themes and sounds that will be familiar to fans. This is both a security and a liability -- while some listeners may find it comforting, others may be disappointed that the band didn't seek to try something new. Trading the risks of exploration for the relative safety of the routine may also explain why Pennywise shows a lack of passion here, as if the band has finally succumbed to outrage fatigue in the years following From the Ashes. It's not that the band is giving up -- they still advocate personal autonomy and fighting back against injustice and corruption -- but there's a weariness on Reason to Believe that hasn't been present on previous albums. Not only is there a lack of innovation, but there appears to be a lack of inspiration as well. Jim Lindberg's delivery lacks the passion necessary to bring Reason to Believe to life; Fletcher Dragge may strike the right chords, but his guitar work doesn't add any depth to the album. The change here is focused on attitude rather than style, with Pennywise sounding more despairing than angry or empowered. They take acerbic aim at the cult of celebrity ("The Western World"), religion ("We'll Never Know"), apathy ("You Get the Life You Choose"), and politics ("Brag, Exaggerate and Lie"), and there's a degree of cynicism that wasn't present on Pennywise's previous album, The Fuse. What Reason to Believe does share with its predecessor is an overall frenetic pace that could have benefited from the interspersion of some slower numbers. Pennywise hasn't strayed from its beliefs, but the band does seem to have changed its worldview with Reason to Believe. It's up to fans to decide what to make of this. ~ Katherine Fulton, All Music Guide