Pennywise
Land Of The Free?

THE REVIEW

Pennywise is a Californian band dedicated to punk rock, definitely among the most notable in the crowded American scene, with several excellent works under their belt. In 2001, they released their sixth album, "Land Of The Free?", published on the glorious Epitaph Records. This album differs from the previous ones due to its distinctly more politicized direction; it prominently features anti-Bush themes (see the considerable success "Fuck Authority"), anti-war, anti-American elections (a rather obvious and predictable theme given the release period), pro-freedom (yes, basically the usual story). The argumentative trend is easy to grasp even from the artwork itself, which features a police block on the cover, snippets of crime news from printed paper on the compact, and obviously from the very title, "land of the free".

The album generally maintains the classic melodic imprint (already noticeable from the uninspiring opener "Time Marches On"), which has characterized the band (although it's not overused, as is typical of other more commercialized groups). Despite the presence of harder and grittier flashes, such as the drive of "It's up to you" (watch out for the spectacular refrain that mimics an unlikely "No Woman No Cry") and "Who's On Your Side?" (one of the slower ones but fortified by an effective verse-riff combo), these are certainly not new for the group, which is known for always maintaining this middle ground between melodic hardcore with easy choruses that nod to Bad Religion and more assertive reasons, a choice that still provided a certain variety in every release. The impression is of a product that's quite weak as a whole, with little power, little speed (most tracks stagnate in bland mid-tempos), much ado about nothing. Starting with the disappointing title track and the often lackluster voice of singer Jim Lindberg, it frequently falls short of certain arrangements and remains weak for most of the work (though in rare cases like the sharp "Set Me Free" and the fast "Enemy" he knows how to deliver). Of course, there are excellent episodes rated very positively, represented by the energetic "Anyone Listening", and "Something Wrong With Me", which stands out for the great work by drummer Byron McMackin, although he doesn't sustain that for all tracks, another point contributing to a not overly positive assessment, which becomes quite clear in tracks like "The World", a very particular song with its Oriental-like riff and a respectable driving chorus that certainly could have said more if not for a Byron that wasn't stellar.

A special mention should be made for the excellent "Fuck Authority", a typical anthem that immediately stands out among the most significant tracks and best reflects the engaged concept of the platter, but especially for "Divine Intervention", undeniably the most substantial song, where Jim's performance is finally at really good levels. The rest are colorless and unengaging tracks, as in the case of "Twist Of Fate" or "My God".

If you appreciate the genre and generally accessible products, a listen is advisable, certainly not an unmissable album, but still, in a difficult period when the charts were dominated by Sum 41 & co, it reaches sufficiency and can provide excellent cues.

Tracklisting: