The CD starts off with "Something." A nice paced, melodic punk tune. Not fast, but not slow either. Although the song does pick up in parts while the drumming is furious and wild, but the vocals always keep the song slower than the background music. "Angry Eyes" is a faster song. The vocals go a wee bit faster, but not too fast. They still keep their melodic, understandable edge. If you really care about what he's saying, and you pay attention you can easily understand him. "You" starts right off with the hooks. No waiting to be pleased here. It starts off very gentle for a punk tune, and the vocals are crystal clear. If anything, I would say this is a very poppy-punk tune. "X-Ray Brave" kicks up the speed, and everything goes full throttle. It then jumps into a very melodic chorus. If you were hungry before this song, the hooks will fill you up promptly. Other stand out tracks on the album include "Parachute," "Regrets," and the final track, "Withdrawal." All of them are punk tunes that pack the melody in every bit. You'll start listening, and look over at the clock and notice that you hit the repeat button and now it's four hours later. Where did the time go? You don't care. The CD does have it's weaknesses though. You have to listen to it a few times before the songs start to differ in sound. But once you've got the full experience, you'll be racing to put this CD in your player every time you feel in the mood for some nice melodic punk rock. Don't accept any imitations.

Racer Ten put out a strong debut CD! As time progresses, expect many more good records like this one. If your into melodic punk, get this record. A definite B+.

Race the Sun: The Rest of Our Lives Is Tonight

Rachael Yamagata: EP

[Issue Two // September-October 1997]