MxPx

Let's Rock (2006)

Jon

Let's Rock is a collection of unreleased material dating back to 2000 around the release of The Ever-Passing Moment. Yes, it sounds very different from anything that MxPx has done before -- but that is why these songs were not included on the regular albums.

There are still classic-sounding, fast MxPx songs -- the second track, "Every Light" sounds like the band's earlier material. But overall, this is a straight-up rock record with messages ranging from the conflict between the First World and the Third World in "1 and 3" to dealing with the stress of daily life. Yes, there are three songs about relationships, one of them being one of the strongest tracks on the album ("Don't Forget Me"), and another showcasing a heavy country influence ("Where Did You Go?").

The strongest track on the album by far is "Running Out of Time," a song that sounds like it was originally written for Mike Herrera's side project Arthur. "To trust sometimes is harder than anything…we think we've gotten better, but we're not listening." Clocking in at four minutes, this sounds more like a rock ballad than a traditional MxPx tune, but fits in very well with the rest of the songs. "Slow Ride" sounds almost Jawbreaker-ish with the heavy distorted guitars in the beginning, and "Breathe Deep" is the best single they've released in years.

There are a couple weak spots on the album. The acoustic version of "You Walk, I Run" is completely unnecessary considering that the rock version is also the first track. And while "Don't Forget Me" is one of the better tracks on the CD, the line "my heart still hurts" at the end is a bit repetitive.

Still, this is overall a solid B-side album that will be sure to tide MxPx fans over until their next album, which is expected in 2007 on SideOneDummy.