An Offer You Can't Refuse

If the debut album from Peoria, Arizona's A Change of Pace sounds to your ears like just one more exercise in catchy, melodic hardcore, complete with precision buzzsaw guitars and the de rigueur interludes of screaming in between tightly harmonized choruses and apple-cheeked verses, then chalk it up to their youth -- these guys are barely out of high school. If, on the other hand, they sound to you like a band poised to breathe fresh air into a genre of aggro-pop that has already started smelling a bit stale, then chalk it up to their prodigious chops and surprisingly advanced songwriting style. Imagine a cross between, say, Watashi Wa and the Rocket Summer -- all the energy of top-notch punk rock but all the unabashed glee of vintage guitar pop as well. Highlight tracks include the brilliant "Every Second" and the bracing power pop blast of "Loose Lips Sink Ships," but really, there's hardly a less-than-thrilling track anywhere on this album. Here's hoping they don't feel the need to "mature" any time soon.