At first they were four and sounded like Fugazi, then they were three and sounded like, well, shit, and now they're still three but they grew all dance-punk on us.

It's surprising. I mean, a fun Dischord record. A Dischord record you can dance to it and play at a party, it hadn't been heard since The Make-Up's 1997's In Mass Mind. It starts very well, "Wonderful People" is a great song, sounding a bit like what !!! would sound like if they decided to write pop songs, same sharp guitars, same crazy bass lines, same bareness. It's fun but not really mind-blowing, there are a few impressive songs here and there, and there's still an emo feeling around (which, coupled with dance-punk makes a singular result). "Wet Work" reflects this ambivalence very well: there's a Fugazi verse and a Rapture chorus. That's the main shortcoming of Power, there's nothing really new or mind-blowing here. It's a curious dance punk record with a couple of really good hits, and more songs which sound like the band didn't know whether they wanted them to be fun or serious. A bit like Radio 4's first record, only less convincing.

You get my point. this is a unexpected move and it could turn out to be the band's best. Future will tell.

-Barbara H

/oct 15th 2004/