Playing punk pop for teenagers hooked on MTV may inflate your bank account, but it doesn't do much for your credibility. Fortunately, Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, two-thirds of the multiplatinum crew, found a way around this quandary. The pair formed Box Car Racer and recorded this album, which strips back the gloss and brings on the noise. Referencing explosive hardcore groups like Fugazi and Refused, who encase their euphoric melodies with barbwire riffs and earsplitting rhythms, may sound like an ominous route.
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