The Good Album

The Good Album is another party of Weezer-like proportions, a witty romp through the excesses of teen years and early adulthood. Whether it's the quirky analogy to constantly making mistakes on "Speeding Cars" or the fantasy mementos of "Pretty Famous," Ian Eskelin's on-again, off-again project brings an authentic punk attitude to calls for repentance that would come across as too heavy-handed or preachy in the hands of more serious artists. Sure, there are moments when the band issues its pleas for worship such as "Surface of the Sun" and "This Is the Moment"; however, those attempts are tempered by the majority of the album which plays to a lighter, less melodic side. If nothing else, this album is due "legacy" status for the kitchy anthem "Dude…That's Freaking Awesome!," a comical cautionary tale of the consequences of peer pressure. And really, any song that talks about puking on your shoes more than once deserves some attention. You have to be in the mood for it, and certainly don't expect weighty messages, but enjoying this album is no harder than pondering the meaning of its title. Credit Eskelin for wearing his spirituality not so seriously, and find simple pleasures in these odes to the playful side of the Christian condition.