Pseudo Heroes

Nostalgic Lies (2005)

Bill

After their schizophrenically brilliant sophomore album Prison Of Small Perception, the Pseudo Heroes come back with an even stronger EP. There's only one guest appearance and the more thrashy elements have been scaled back, creating a 20-minute block of solid rock.

I've heard the Pseudo Heroes compared to Husker Dü in the past, and the first song "Future You" immediately made me think of the Husker classic "Never Talking To You Again." The punchy acoustic guitar and heartfelt vocals may lead you to think the band has taken yet another creative left turn, but this song is a bit of an aberration.

Tracks like "Open Your Eyes And I'll Close Mine" and "Borrowed Bonds" are speedy ditties with catchy as hell choruses. The fastest song on the EP is "Devil In The Dark," which has Andy Anderson from Attitude Adjustment doing a guest spot. "Devil In The Dark" could easily have been an outtake from Prison…. The title song features vaguely ska-tinged interludes amongst the mid-tempo madness. As the final song "Generation Overload" fades out, the listener knows that these songs will be in their head for the next few days.

This EP is definitely the Pseudo Heroes' best work so far. Some people wince when they hear the terms "skate punk" or "melodic punk rock." Show them Nostalgic Lies and watch them change their tune.