Atticus: ... Dragging The Lake.
"Atticus: ... Dragging The Lake." CD (Side One)
This review writes itself. There are only two songs on here worth paying any attention to. The second is the now-defunct Give Up The Ghost's (then American Nightmare) "am/pm" which appears on "Background Music." Thus, you're down to one song which is exclusive to this comp (and I still harbor hopes that it will see the light of day elsewhere): Alkaline Trio's "Jaked On Green Beers." It was my soundtrack for summer of 2002. It defined pretty much every month from July until I heard Hot Water Music's "Trusty Chords" that year, and the bitterness was as soothing as a warm bath and a cup of cocoa. It's all about the final kiss-off, the last piss-off, the best fuck-off. It's one of the best break-up songs ever to hit my CD player because there isn't a single note of maudlin sentimentality in it - it's nothing but galloping, hyperactive glee that they're gone and won't be coming back ever again. It's somewhat humorous and, back in 2002, was a huge relief to me in the wake of yet another failed relationship. Now, as great as the A3 song is, as awesome as the GUTG song is, they can't save this compilation from the rest of the godawful shit that's laying around in this yard. I'll give Rival Schools a pass, but no one else is spared - everyone gets tarred with the same brush for appearing on a comp with Finch, Starting Line, Simple Plan, Midtown, New Found Glory and so forth. This compilation, taken as a whole, is so goddamned weak that Hot Topic should have been giving it away.