Every breath taken on Shorter, Faster, Louder has been drawn before, but not necessarily better. Kid Dynamite's saving grace (as it should be) is actual talent. And given their skill and history-- guitarist Dan Yemin was in the seminal, proto-emo Lifetime-- you'll enjoy listening to their new album three times in a row. We could go over the bands they blatantly rip off, willfully or otherwise, but a few songs in, there's an easier solution. This sounds exactly like "Chesterfield King"-era Jawbreaker, with a touch of Fat Wreck production.

It's amusing that the "kids" trying to isolate themselves from punk posturing via minimal artwork and shyness would buy this record. If you're into this stuff, what are you doing on the Jade Tree message board? Head over to alt.punk and get some hair dye. There's no good reason this isn't on Fat Wreck-- they've toured with Fat Wreck bands, and it would be so much easier for everyone that way. But obviously due to the Lifetime connection, Jade Tree's the place to be.

That said, it's easy to see where this fits in with Jade Tree's recent efforts to reclaim their once-proud status as the unassailably hottest independent label on the scene. Given all the hoopla surrounding their weakest links, I'm glad to see them reevaluating their roster. They're certainly capable of supporting a diverse pool of acts, and with records like this, they've stopped short of taking themselves for granted.

Kid Dynamite did almost everything right on this record, it's just not meant to be critiqued. We all deal with unoriginal bands, but it's hard to talk about them. And you know, that's sort of the point to this kind of punk rock. It's a matter of submission, and if you're willing, Kid Dynamite offers the soundtrack to your spring semester. I know I would've memorized this were I still in college, but what the fuck, I'll still sing along-- I love a cheap shot youth anthem as much as the next guy. It's an all ages show, after all.

-Chris Ott