MxPx -- Teenage Politics

7/10

Teenage Politics, MxPx's second album, showcases that little bit of growth from the first album to the second one would expect from a band composed entirely of teenagers. The production, while nothing incredible, is a step-up in quality from the dirty-sounding debut, Pokinatcha. The album, from song to song, is just a little bit stronger, as well. The main difference, though, between Teenage Politics and Pokinatcha, is that Teenage Politics actually includes some standouts. While Pokinatcha is steady-going, with nothing rising from the pack, Teenage Politics features a handful of songs primed for a greatest hits collection right out of the gate. The title track is punk in its attitude, the "I'll never be like you" chorus essentially the very definition of punk, but the song itself takes the tempo down a notch, and is actually...catchy. Also, the grown-up cynicism of the song's final line, "I'm just like you," shows that this band is already getting ahead of the pack.
Teenage Politics is also the point certain people started calling MxPx "pop-punk," but I'll get to those people later. Teenage politics are confusing enough. Speaking of "Teenage Politics" the song, though, it's the first in a one-two punch of awesome that is concluded by the career-defining "Punk Rawk Show," a frenzied good-times blast of energy that makes me miss the 90's and Surge Cola except they make Surge Cola again and this song has never stopped being cool.
The rest of the album is a work obviously crafted by teenagers, but it is at least steadily decent the rest of the way through, and shows far more promise than did the band's debut. With just a little more maturation, and the right producer...
Meanwhile, I'm gonna go dye my hair some conspicuous color and dive off something.


1995 Tooth & Nail
1. Sugarcoated Poison Apple 2:21
2. Do & Don't 3:37
3. Teenage Politics 2:51
4. Punk Rawk Show 2:32
5. The Opposite of Intellect 2:51
6. False Fiction 3:25
7. Falling Down 2:04
8. Moneytree 1:41
9. Rainyday 2:42
10. Like Sand Thru the Hourglass... So Are the Days Of Our Lives 1:57
11. Democracy 1:53
12. Something More 2:19
13. Different Things 1:18
14. Misunderstanding 2:42
15. Study Humans 2:20
16. Inquiring Minds Want to Know 2:17
17. I'm the Bad Guy 1:42
18. Americanism 2:28
19. Dolores [Hidden track] 2:37