Box Car Racer

Item: Box Car Racer
Author: Travis Persaud

(2002)

Reviewed by Travis Persaud

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Label MCA RecordsDecapolisMay 2002

pop punk punk

This is Boxcar Racer's debut album. It features Travis and Tom from Blink 182, along with David Kennedy from Over My Dead Body, and Anthony Celestino.

When I first heard that Travis from Blink 182 would be starting up his own side-project, I was honestly quite interested to see how it would turn out. I've never been a full-blown fan of Blink 182, but I have always admired his skills. His drumming abilities have always captured me when I've seen him play, and I thought Travis was finally going to use all of his talent on an album with some substance. However, shortly after I heard about the creation of this project, I heard that Tom from Blink 182 would also be part of it. When I found out about this, I figured they had two of the three members from Blink, so why not just make it a Blink album?

Well I still remained optimistic about this, hoping they would have the sense to make an album that goes beyond the trivial matter and songs that Blink 182 is known for. For the most part, I was let down, and this album fell way short.

There is hardly any distinction between Boxcar Racer and Blink 182. Sure, Boxcar Racer is slightly rawer and more aggressive at spots, but if you closed your eyes you wouldn't hear too much of a difference. Knowing this, you pretty much know what kind of album you're getting with Boxcar Racer. Simple pop-punk songs, with decent melodies, and some extra raw power to boot.

"My First Punk Song," is the only song that goes against this formula, as it is a short aggressive punk song, that sounds like, well...what their first song would probably sound like! The only song that could be called a "stand out" on this album would be "There Is." It is a quiet acoustic driven song, with a simple key arrangement in the background. If they had made an entire album along these lines, I would have been impressed and pleased, most likely. They didn't however, and took the easy road sticking relatively close to what they know. There is definitely potential for Boxcar Racer, if they just learn to play outside of the box more. As for their self titled debut, give it a listen if you're a true Blink 182 fan, but if you're not you won't be missing much.

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