Adolescents
The Fastest Kid Alive

30 years after the release of their first masterpiece titled “Adolescents,” these adolescents (now) in middle age, guided by Steve Soto (bass) and Tony “Reflex” Cadena (vocals), in the summer of 2011 gave birth to “The Fastest Kid Alive,” released by Concrete Jungle. Unfortunately, the genius Rikk Agnew is absent, but we have gotten used to it since “O.C. Confidential.”

Needless to say, it is certainly a different work from those of the '80s, of raw and pure Hardcore with very little room left for melody, which is found more abundantly in this LP. Pressing “play” immediately immerses you in the West Coast, on California's beaches, in the landscapes of Orange County, accompanied by Cadena's evergreen voice and the guitars of the latest new guitarists, McKnight and Harrison.

During the listening experience, the transition from one track to another is almost imperceptible, demonstrating a compact and homogeneous album made of engaging songs like “Surf City” and “Inspiration.” The Hardcore fervor has somewhat diminished in favor of melody, but when speaking of the Adolescents, this term must be used with caution, as the singer's voice is anything but melodic. In contrast to Cadena's raspy singing, there are Soto's choruses, always spot-on and never trivial as in “Too Fast, Too Loud” and “No Child Left Behind.”

A year after “The Fastest Kid Alive,” still under Concrete Jungle, the group released the EP “American Dogs in Europe,” which seems almost like a continuation of the full-length, even judging by the two covers, which are very similar to each other. This reasonably well-made work continues on the same wave as the previous album: still HC sounds but less rough and more catchy. I feel inclined to recommend the title track and the last one, "Destinatin Nowhere", confirming that skill is not lost over more than 3 decades.

It goes without saying that those hoping to hear the old Adolescents from the magnificent self-titled album will be somewhat disappointed, but give it more than a thought. You will be surprised by the compelling songs these guys can still write, and these two works are concrete proof that they are probably second only to the first two albums.