Review: Arthur “Watch The Years Crawl By”

Rock
Arthur is a side project of current and past members of the Bremerton, WA punk band MxPx. Lead by the versatile Mike “Arthur” Herrera, Arthur is a clear departure from MxPx into more mainstream pop punk, such as Blink-182 or Jimmy Eat World. Arthur first came onto the scene in 1999 with an EP entitled “Loneliness Is Bliss”, which incidentally is now available for the first time as a digital download at the official web site below. “Watch The Years Crawl By” is the long awaited full-length debut from Arthur.

Like MxPx and Tumbledown, Arthur helps to prove that almost everything Mike Herrera touches turns to gold. The 12 songs on this hotly anticipated side project have a very melodic appeal and lend themselves well to contemporary radio. The boys are restrained compared to the raw energy of MxPx, but not so restrained that their passion for the music isn’t felt. And some tunes, like “Heartache”, channel the high octane pace of their punk roots. “Watch The Years Crawl By” has no throwaways or filler, as each song is likeable. The tunes are quick and to the point, getting to the hook fast. In some cases, almost too fast…the song is so short it sounds more like an idea that needed to be fleshed out further. Highlights include “Cold Outside”, “America”, “Heartache”, and “Still Haven’t Reached You”. There is quite the power ballad in “To Have and To Hold” that I think most people would enjoy as well.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12

Arthur on MySpace. Official site.

Listen to “America”