7seconds: good to go

If there was ever a band that made you feel good about being a kid, it would be these guys. 7Seconds, the only memorable punk outfit ever to come out of Reno, Nev., has been supplying disgruntled youth with angst-ridden yet refreshingly positive anthems since the '80s heyday of the West Coast punk and hardcore scene. After several stylistic changes over the years, not all of which sat well with their more purist followers, they've grown up a bit. It shows in their latest release, Good to Go—perky and furiously paced, but well-tempered and at times, almost pensive.

This concoction, something of an oddity in the punk world, wavers between streamlined fury and an awkward juxtaposition of wisdom and rebellion. Employing the old-school aesthetic to which 7Seconds lay claim, vocalist Kevin Seconds belts out thoughtful, optimistic lyrics on young love and the State of the Punk in the same eerily pubescent voice he's been using all along. Not surprisingly, considering the genre, riffs are 7Seconds' staple—catchy, charmingly generic power chords that have inspired countless suburban teens to butcher their cherished Fenders.

Though the music still resonates with the anger 7Seconds were known for in the mid-'80s, the band's attitude today is no longer simply an attitude. Instead of pure pose, it's a reflection from a broader, socially conscious perspective, with a growing awareness of individuality and its tendency to become obscured in the dizzying intensity of youth culture. There's more than a hint of cynicism here, with lyrics like, "Punk rock is too fucking stubborn/Neither is willing to give a little/Ramming our heads into nothing/Winning a war that is non-existent," as well as direct criticisms of the pettiness that pervades The Scene.

On the other hand, the album is pervaded by themes of moving ahead: in life, society, and music. In that sense, and in true punk rock fashion, it's not so much the music but the insatiable energy behind Good to Go that drives the record. Despite the trite but tried-and-true formula of buzz cuts, frenzied chanting, and general mischief, 7Seconds shows us that punk can age gracefully. And where elder statesmanship falls short, the band makes up for it with a tireless sense of camaraderie, sincerity, and reckless pride. (SideOneDummy)

—Michelle Chen

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