This Canadian outfit plays a pop punk style that's almost reminiscent of sugar pop from the 60's. The vocals sound real nice, and the guitars are produced pretty clean. They find a nice way to incorporate feisty music with lyrics like, "And through everything remember / what's important in your life / you're saved by grace / never let anything take His place." Much like the kings of pop punk (MxPx), the band can break a song down with kind of a bop feel and then slam away in 4/4 time. Not to be compared to Jimmy Eat World, this is still very much punk. Fans of Dogwood and Slick Shoes might enjoy the melodic leanings of vocalist Matt Fast. It's hard to wax eloquent when you hear an album like this. It's all done very well. The songs are strong, the hooks are there, the playing backs it up, but this genre has certainly been explored by many a band.
For breaking new ground, the jury is still out on The Undecided. On musical strength alone, they score very high. I like 'em.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Josh SpencerThe Undecided play faster than usual pop punk, with lots of those little speed-ups in the picking that bands like NOFX do so well. They sound just like Ten Foot Pole, though, with a little less muscle. The vocals don't get quite as wussy as MxPx, and they mostly stick to one singer or two-part harmonies. Lyrics are all drawn from personal relationships and observations of people, and seem to…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradFor being Undecided, they sure have decided something - to be a west coast punk band. They did everything a west coast punk band is supposed to do: Hyper beats, tons of first beat stalls, ska part for no reason, slow first few measures then fast - all here. Do you see where my review is going? There is nothing on this record to separate it from an already diluted genre. The thing is, they're good…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom BastianI wasn't exactly sure of what to think of this record at first. I mean it's pretty much straight up new school pop punk, but there's nothing really setting it apart from all the other bands in this genre. The musicianship was good, these guys definitely know how to play their punk rock guitars, drum, and bass, but it still seems to be missing something. The production was pretty good too. I…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimThis CD has songs on using the words "free" and "democracy." Give me a break. I'm so tired of bands doing this stupid political crap. I don't think that the fans that hear this music will go out and change the government. What's worse is that these guys are talking American politics and they're Canadian. Listen to these lyrics: "The rich will prosper so the poor can't cope/ You said it's not bad…Similar sounding releases
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