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At first listen, I was ready to dismiss The Kicker as just another pop/punk band that sounds like everything else on the radio, without anything that would make them stand out.  Not bad, definitely listenable, but nothing special.

Then I gave the CD a second spin.  Yes, there are the usual Ramones/Green Day influences here, but _First Word, Last Place_ has some other voices heard here, primarily in “I Don’t Believe You” and “If I” that lift this album above the usual punk offerings of today.

“Hate the Poor” and “If I” are what would happen if T-Bone Burnett decided to sing on a punk album.  At times, “Hate” resembles Robyn Hitchcock’s work.  “God Bless You and Keep You” is a tune about just trying to be helpful to a friend when you cannot fix the situation at hand, the need to be there more than having a ready solution.  “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is a Ramones-influenced song.

“Calm Yourself” casts the listener into a familiar scenario: arguing with someone who is always right (at least, in his own mind).  “Pop Out” speaks of the damage that can be done by careless words, and would not be out of place on the last Weezer album.

The most humorous (and painful, if you’ve ever been there) song is “The Drummer”, a tale of a concert attendee who finds himself attracted to the band’s drummer.  He proceeds to try to look right and say the right thing, and fails miserably in the process.  The band succeeds in making this tune both funny and poignant.

If you are a fan of Cheap Trick or This Train, this CD will satisfy those needs for you.  Pay attention, though - the 33 minutes taken up by the 11 songs go by very quickly.

Brian A. Smith 8/23/01