Fastbreak

Whenever You’re Ready (Revelation)
by Tim Den

As much as I’d like to deny it, Fastbreak is growing on me. Maybe it’s the way honesty and positivity shine through their lyrics (“Music is My Girlfriend,” “Good Dreams or None at All,” “Thanks for Trying”), maybe it’s because they pride themselves on progressing outside of traditional hardcore, or maybe it’s simply because Whenever You’re Ready (gotta love that title. Anyone who has a band can appreciate it) is far better than anything else they’ve done. Regardless, Fastbreak has transformed from a fifteen year old gibberish band into a highly efficient unit. Now leaning more toward Lifetime than In My Eyes (but still bearing an uncanny resemblance to Gorilla Biscuits), these boys are learning melody and dynamics. Good for them. And even though every hardcore band refers to themselves as “rock’n’roll” these days, Fastbreak is one of the few that actually has the album to back up the claim. Big, classic rock-sounding drums with plenty of swinging mid-tempos, Whenever You’re Ready is as rock’n’roll as hardcore gets. So if you like your ’88 youth crew anthems to be laced with Keith Moon and John Bonham, look no further.
(PO Box 5232 Huntington Beach, CA 92615)