On
Fade to Bright,
Squirtgun's third, and strongest album (appearing six years after their sophomore effort), the band plays the classic Lookout and Honest Don melodic punk sound with unbridled energy and propulsion. The best numbers -- "Burn for You," "Me Without You" -- evoke
Weston at their catchiest and most forlorn with the power of
Screeching Weasel. And while this is not the most innovative punk album of 2003 (try
the Weakerthans,
the Blood Brothers, or
Against Me! for that), the music on
Fade to Bright is as splashy and kinetic as anything by
blink-182 without entirely catering to the legions of mall punks. "She's Ohio" for example is a punk love tune in the tradition of
the Descendents' "Silly Girl" -- and though
Squirtgun are never as reckless and devil-may-care as their ancestors, they do a pretty good job carrying the torch. ~ Charles Spano