The Spinoffs / Street Rock Stars (Black Market)

While pop-punk doesn't quite describe things, Street Rock Stars is definitely more poppy than your basic punk record. The sound is best described as an affectionate nod to the '77 style coupled with a more modern pop-punk sound. Beyond that, the album's a bit of a bastard child, with half of it recorded prior to two members leaving the band, and the rest recorded after they were replaced. Despite this major change midway through the disc, it's all pretty seamless; you hardly notice that the first eight tracks include a different guitar player. The songs on Street Rock Stars are all fast and grinding, which is good, but they're all fast and grinding in the same way, blending together in a mass of fuzzy guitars and slightly out-of-tune vocals that leaves you waiting for a single that never comes. When it's all over, you won't even remember a track, let alone name one that stands out.

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