Artist: MxPx
Album: Secret Weapon
Label: Tooth And Nail
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: July 17th, 2007

Overall: 8.5
Music: 7.0
Lyrics: 8.0
Production: 8.0

Mxpx are back with their newest full length Secret Weapon. Not a fan of a little punk rock music? This release is probably not for you then. Not an Mxpx fan? Well you’re probably out of luck here too because this record is Mxpx defined. The new album does take some steps in new directions but the steps are very little.

The first song which is the title track “secret weapon” hits hard with 1998 Mxpx punk rock style. The first track pretty much lays it out and foreshadows the rest of the album. If you like or even love it then sit back and enjoy the ride.

“Shut It Down” talks about getting out from behind the computer screen and not having society grow an unproductive MySpace generation. “Top of The Charts”, “Sad Sad Song” and “Tightly Wound” are some of the tracks will probably stand out the most with their thick engulfing melodies. “Chop Shop“ and “Bass So Low” are a couple of the non traditional songs in which the band takes those steps in newer directions. . The songs are sung different and are a bit heavier than the rest of the songs on the album. Probably the funniest part on the record or funniest part from any Mxpx record comes on the song “Not Now”, when it breaks down and mike starts singing “goose fraba” the calming phrase from the movie anger management.

So now on to the “what’s bad” about the album, the part where we can lay into all the things that the band did wrong. Well all the cynics out there can move on because there’s not many bad things to say about this album. With 16 (17 with the hidden one) songs some are slightly weaker such as “Chop Shop” but this is a filler free record that will leave you feeling like your $12 was well spent.

Tracklisting
1. Secret Weapon
2. Shut It Down
3. Here’s To The Life
4. Top Of The Charts
5. Angels
6. Punk Rock Celebrity
7. Contention
8. Drowning
9. Chop Shop
10. You’re On Fire
11. Bass So Low
12. Sad Sad Song
13. Never Better Than Now
14. Biting The Bullet Is Bad For Business
15. Not Nothing
16. Tightly Wound

Note: Review originally posted on www.thealbumproject.net check it out for this and other reviews