Far From Nowhere

Slick Shoes jumps from Tooth & Nail to Side One Dummy for Far from Nowhere, but barring a few personnel shifts, that's the only real difference here. The band is still plying expertly-crafted punk revivalist anthems filled with as much heart as they are heavy metal fetishism (check the sludgy intro to "Sleep In" or the downright insane weedly-weedly guitar solo in "Down Hill" for a metal gut check). "Once Again" and "Carpenteria" are some of the best slices of breakneck, barely-in-check anthems here; Ryan Kepke's vocals are still wide-open and sort of amateurish, but that trait becomes endearing in his possession because it proves that his heartrending and occasional bitterness is the genuine article and not an opportunistic pose designed to bed betties at the mall. The wiry, spiraling guitar solos return for "Always There" -- "Open up my eyes and help me see," Kepke sings, and while it may be a request to the Big J.C., it's just as possible to hum it while throwing pebbles at your true love's window. Slick Shoes have said in the past that Christianity should not categorize their music, even while their beliefs play a major lyrical role. Far from Nowhere proves that the lyrics can be universal, but it also suggests that God likes catchy choruses and crazy metal-meets-hardcore breakdowns. ~ Johnny Loftus