Career Objective

Fronted by former Riverdales bassist Daniel Schafer (also a regular presence in the Screeching Weasel/Queers axis of bubblegum punk), the Methadones are yet another terrific pop/punk band flying the "I'm in my 30s, but part of me inside is still a bored teenager playing video games in my mom and dad's basement" flag. Less goofy than the Mr. T Experience and less pure-pop than the Queers, the Methadones are basically serious — on "I'm About To Crack," Schafer howls as if he means it — but they have a decidedly snarky edge that adds bite to songs like "Premature Mid-Life Crisis" and the swell "Say Goodbye To Your Generation." Just as impressively, songs like the brilliant, anthemic closer, "You Don't Know Me Anymore," move well beyond the three-chords-in-two-minutes stricture of most pop/punk, adding a level of lyrical and musical sophistication that suits the songs without sacrificing their power or their pop. Career Objective is the sort of record that a 14-year-old kid and his 30-something uncle could both rock out to without complaint.