Automatic 7 is one of those bands that you know would be on your local alternative radio station if they were on a more major label. This might sound like I'm giving them a bum rap, but in reality I actually do like these guys. They totally have the radio-friendly pop-punk formula down, but they're not annoying like New Found Glory or Good Charlotte. The singer also sounds alot like Mike Ness from Social Distortion. In fact, the whole band kind of sounds like Social D, but their songs are catchy enough to stand out and be respectable. Notable tracks include "Broken Record" and "Had it All," which were typical fast-verse/slower chorus pop-punk, and "Beggar's Life" and "All They Can Steal," which are post-grunge style alternative-rockers. The best song here is definitely "Bow Down," which is a happy and catchy pop-punk song with an alterna-rock singsong chorus, much like a song from Lit ("My Own Worst Enemy"). The rest of the album is pretty much your basic pop-punk in the style of Blink 182, Face to Face, Rancid's poppier stuff, and of course, Social Distortion. I think these guys could easily move up to a major label in the future, and join the ranks of their mainstream pop-punk counterparts.
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