ALL KILLER NO FIL(LP [Vinyl]

This young pop-punk quartet might seem to be following in the steps of such bands as Blink 182, but they bring something of their own to the table on ALL KILLER NO FILLER. Though much of this album is occupied by bratty, post-Green Day melodic punk with the occasional, reverential nod to old-school punk rock ("Nothing on My Back"), Sum 41 seems self-aware enough to effectively spoof itself. "Maiden and Priest were the gods that we praised," they proudly proclaim on the satirical "Fat Lip," which also finds them flirting with rap-metal. Meanwhile, the breathlessly catchy "Rhythms" has enough guitar hooks and melodic vocal harmonies to please any power-pop fan. While there's not enough of a sense of punk history displayed here to give you nostalgic memories of the Buzzcocks, Sum 41 does have enough going on upstairs to put them a step or two ahead of the rest of the pop-punk pack.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Punk