Reviewed by Neil Fix

The first thing that I have to say about this CD is that it is strange. Not so much for its content, but rather that it exists at all. After their first three studio albums, Stellar Kart released a 17 track compilation, and now this selection with 10 tracks - all of which are on the previous one. That said, I have to say that I really like the album - the songs selected are probably the band's best known and they're all great. It is also a lot more varied than I was expecting. What I knew of Stellar Kart, I was expecting punk pop in the vein of Blink 182, Relient K, or early Green Day. While that is certainly on here, particularly in the fantastically fun opener "Procrastinating" (definitely a good start), it's actually in the minority. Most of the tracks are more like straightforward rock pop, closer to Switchfoot than Relient K, and a lot more developed in many ways. Musically, they are strong songwriters, and lyrically they express great ideas - some I only noticed when I started to pay more attention. Some are simple, strongly driven by the choruses (like "Life Is Good"), and some more subtle, like the final track "Student Driver", one of my favourites. Another highlight for me is "Shine Like The Stars", which reminds us that we are all brilliant, and to live with this in mind. It is clear that they have matured both as a band and as songwriters since they first formed. If you've yet to catch up with the Arizona-based pop rockers, this budget-line compilation is worth investigating.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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