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Ace Troubleshooter I've been following Ace Troubleshooter for the past three years and I've always thought they were a band that fell just short of their potential. Their newest release is another story in that short-of-the-potential saga, but for a band that's not living up to my expectations, they produce a pretty good album. Their new CD is pop-punk, full of strong guitars, hooking melodies, and good-old fashioned angst. And don't forget that staple of the punk-rock genre, songs about girls. Ace Troubleshooter manages to cover the spectrum with 'Denise,' 'Tonight,' 'Don't Trust That Girl,' and 'Yoko.' There's nothing wrong with songs about love--or in some cases love lost, but after a while you have to feel for the guy and wonder what's up with the romantic troubles. 'SE 101' starts off the album with a blaze of guitars and anger. It's a great song, but don't expect any deep lyrical concepts. 'Misconceptions' is an example of why punk exists. It's expressing the frustration of watching people turn from Christianity because of Christians: "You live in your misconceptions / Cuz our actions don't speak as loud as our words." The song drips with passion and thrives on the driving, lightning rhythm. It reminds us who does the saving and admits our faults: "Yeah I can see all the hurt / And the misery resulting from the fact / That Christians are the biggest sinners of them all / But please don't fall." 'Phoenix' is a glimpse at potential. It's a song of praise that tells a story of salvation in reference to the legend of the Phoenix. It's not a stellar song, but the writing is solid and downright good in some places. The album closes with an impressive instrumental that I originally mistook for MxPx. Ace Troubleshooter's self titled release is a fun punk-rock ride. But from what I've seen of the band over the past three years I think they can do so much more. This album is void of the humor that was prevalent in a lot of their previous work (songs like 'Rudy,' about an electronic penguin, 'Welcome to Dumpsville,' population you, 'Ravioli,' about the Chef Boy R Dee pasta, and 'Chili Minnesota,' an Ace Troubleshooter classic about the cold and snow of their home state). This album also leaves off what I would consider their best song, 'Kiss Goodnight,' which appeared on their last indie release Don't Stop a Rockin'. The song features five lines about getting ready for bed, but they're all mixed up because "she kissed me goodnight." An extremely simple yet witty song that with some quality production work could easily be a mainstream radio hit. Unfortunately it wasn't performed or mixed well on Don't Stop a Rockin' and wasn't even included on this self titled release. And like most punk bands Ace Troubleshooter suffers from a lack of variety. This album isn't as bad as others, but they could have tried a little harder. Don't Stop a Rockin' featured an acoustic praise song that on one hand showed why punk singers are never invited to do other vocal projects, but on the other hand more than made up for it with its raw passion. The song blossoms at the end and is a beautifully vulnerable moment. You won't find that kind of risk taking on their national debut. John Warne and company have a solid CD that will do well in Christian circles. But it won't go much farther than that. Do keep your eye on the band, perhaps one day they'll live up to their potential. (Kevin H.) |
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