NO USE FOR A NAME: Keep them Confused CD [for fans of Green Day, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41]

We're talking leavened and sweetened punk rock; the music is sweet, but the lyrics tough. It's a good portion of the sound of the modern rock charts as Green Day, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, and Sum-41 have all seen their bank accounts turn green over the last decade with their catchy songs and punk posturing. NUFAN's new one should please their current skate rocking fans even though it is slightly slicker than previous albums, but will it go over big with the kids who buy their music at department stores?
Keep Them Confused begins with the sticky, sweet pop of "Part Two" and then heads for emo land on "There Will Be Revenge" before going for the jugular with "For Fiona", the first single from the album. It is an archetype of pop punk meeting emo with its hushed instrumentation at the beginning before launching into the Jimmy Eat World type verses. NUFAN maintains some hardcore punk credibility with "Bullets" which tackles Christianity and "Killing Time" which is an anti-war song that pulls no punches. Keep Them Confused ultimately is more filler for teenagers ticked off at the world hoping they can finally learn how to ollie over the trashcan in the driveway. It's neither great nor is it bad. If you're a NUFAN fan you're going to like the album. If Keep Them Confused gets enough airplay this summer it could be a hit....

www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B0009IW9VG/ref=pd_krex_dp_a

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This is the album that's going to make long-time fans scratch their chins: Is this the same group that made the angst-riddled, amplifier-blowing Leche Con Carne? Do the bittersweet lyrics of songs like "For Fiona" mean they're going emo? Are all the potential singles here going to make them bigger than Green Day? All legitimate concerns surrounding a band that has operated on the frontlines of the American punk scene since 1987. But, ultimately, there little to actually worry about. No Use For A Name hasn't lost touch with its primal side--"Bullets" and "Killing Time" are prime examples of its hardcore instinct at work--but maturity is clearly creeping in, with singer Tony Sly's voice inching towards Chris Martin territory and a handful of quality mid-tempo rock songs dominating an album that, despite the inevitable continental drift, sounds remarkably lucid from beginning to end. --Aidin Vaziri