A few years and a few break ups after their successful sophomore release, Jalapeno, Value Pac has entered and exited the studio with their second one-word-titled, third full-length album, Incognito, on Four Door Entertainment.
The first thing that stands out on this disc is the degree of lyrical maturity. Ryan and Sean have written some very vulnerable, honest, intelligent, emotional songs (No. Don't even start. Not even in the same country as emo. Stop the madness now, scenesters.), that should make you think and maybe even tug at your heartstrings if you listen closely. This fact is probably not a surprise to anyone who has followed the career of the band, as they have been through some pretty extreme trials and losses in their personal lives over the years. Even the seemingly trite songs about girls and being rock stars have an edge and depth to them that begs for a second, endearing glance at their story. A definite standout, Dear God borrows from the book of Job in questioning the presence of God in our suffering, and is so soaked with genuine anger, pain, lament, and cries for mercy that it should bring even the hardest tuff guy to an anxious state of mind. Musically, Incognito straddles a rope between their hooky, snotty, new-school punk rock past and a much more rock based future, a la Tragedy Ann and even Aunt Bettys to a degree (which isn't a surprise after all the time they have spent with Chuck Cummings). Showdown has to be the best example of this mixture, and features their trademark punk crescendos and beats combined with rock 'n' roll bridges.
A couple songs are not mixed very well and seem tinny, sometimes the guitars get lost behind the drums, and there are some cliche studio gimmicks that cause a brief grimace. But for the most part, the late Dennis Danell produced a good record. Overall, this album stands as a nice transitional piece for Value Pac, and is a welcome reprieve from the carbon copy, superficial pop-punk glut that just won't let up. Above all, thanks for the honesty, guys.
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Tom BastianThe first song, "Corporate Cover Up", sounds much like one of Value Pac's songs that would have appeared on their first two releases. From there they seem to move on and venture into territory we have yet to see them go into. On the second track, "Showdown" they move into an almost radio pop sounding song. Yet on track #4, "Bad Bad Me" is where we really see the direction that Value Pac seems to…Similar sounding releases
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