The Ever Passing Moment

This record is a little bit of a departure from their previous sound. Less punk in the sense that most of the record is not that fast. Double time drum beats are much rarer so it has a "rockier" sound. It still sounds more "punk rock" than later releases probably because of the simplicity in production ( almost no additional instruments or effects ) and because Mike still has his "Buffalo" voice. In later years Mike begins to enunciate his words more and loses a bit of that older "lazier" punk vocal style. One of my favorite things about this album is that except for "My Life Story [1]" and "Responsibility [3]" it's melodies aren't immediately catching. I love when albums grow on you. There is depth in that. When the last track on an album ("Misplaced Memories[15]") is better than the first track ("My Life Story[1]") and the first track is pop punk gold then the album is pretty much darn right amazing. Lyrically I think it's very good but it lacks some of the sparkling gems we got from albums like "Life In General." Buy it. Turn it up. You won't regret it.

Used to have this on CD so so long ago. Still remember the songs and lyrics.

In my high school year I listened to quite a bit of Pop Punk music, most of which I was be ashamed to listened to after I turned 18. The style of music, while peppy and lots of fun doesn't lend itself to quality albums. Slowly, most of my pop punk cd's have disappeared into used cd bins, been passed off on ebay, or traded on Lala. MxPx is one the few bands I've found impossible to part with. Is part of nostalgia? Sure. MxPx have occasionally drifted into fads and trends which have marred their catalog on releases such as Before Everything and After, and on Responsibility on this album, but Overall, they have filled a niche sorely needed within this genre. They have provided music that provides the fun and the hooks without sacrificing maturity.On this record the band addresses issue of personal faith, change and to steal a phrase, life in general. The music takes the usual palm muted chords and gang choruses, but adds melodies that wouldn't be out of place on and Elvis Costello album. For me, this album is example of what Punk could have become if bands would have grown up and added some diverse influences to the creation process.

Great

This CD remains one of my all time favorite after over 10 years since it's release!I have heard time and again how this band has changed and they aren't the same... well everyone changes and if every album they put out sounded like Pokinatcha MxPx would have been played out long ago.While some things change, some things also remain the same. Ever Passing Moment definitely has Less of the "Punk" feel and more of an Elvis Costello influence (which is forshadowed by the Album cover)but it does not fail to simply ROCK, start to finish. *please note that "influenced by" does not mean it sounds like Elvis Costello*This album also has a classic MxPx feel in that the lyrics deal with the same themes MxPx has touched on their entire career. Those themes being Love/relationships (Without You, Two Whole Years), Faith/Christianity (Foolish, Its undeniable) *these songs are spiritual, but not in anyway preachy*, Lifes Daily Struggles (Buildings Tumble, Misplaced Memories). But i will say that the lyrics in this album dig a little deeper than the alread insightful words previously sang in older albums.This truly is a great album, and i believe anyone will find something in this album that they will treasure for years just like I have. if you do not own this CD click "Buy Now"

I have been a huge fan of MxPx since Pokinatcha so it's frustrating to see so many people that are fed up with this album. True, it lacks the hard-edged punk rawk feel of their Tooth & Nail releases, but does that mean that the band sold-out or became too radio friendly? No. MxPx has had radio friendly songs since Teenage Politics ("Do or Don't" / "Rainyday"). Life In General had 'em, too ("Move To Bremerton" / "Chick Magnet" / "Today Is In My Way"). Slowly Going..., of course, had them as well ("Party, My House, Be There" / "I'm OK, You're OK" / "For Always"). Why is it such a crime to make radio friendly stuff? Do you think Mike, Tom and Yuri sat down and said "ok, we are going to totally sell out and make an album that punk kids are going to hate but the top 40 crowd will love." Probably not. If you see 'em in concert, you'd know that they still play with the same power and energy. Could it be that the band decided that they wanted to expand their sound? Maybe Yuri, the original chick magnet himself, decided that he didn't want to drum constantly at mach 3 on every song like on previous albums. Why is this so wrong? Maybe Mike decided that he was tired of writing the same 3-Chord stuff repeatedly and wanted to broaden his song-writing. This album happens to be their most distinct release. It is also their most lyrically deep album yet. Getting back to the whole radio issue, I challenge a mainstream station out there to play a song like "Foolish" or "Undeniable." This album, while rythimically friendly to radio, has one key ingredient that will keep them off the air...meaning. Possibly the best song on the album, "The Next Big Thing," is also one that would create much controversy were it to recieve any frequent airplay. The band should be praised for sticking to their beliefs, and not hiding them under false images. I'm not saying that the other reviews are entirely wrong. This album does not have the same sound as their previous disc's, but to give it a rating of 1/5 is short-sighted. The Ever Passing Moment is their deepest album yet, both lyrically and musically. It's funny because the band's next release is going to be an EP of new songs written in "the old mxpx style." Basically, they are saying that they may be big, but they haven't forgotten about their old skool fans. To paraphrase from the song "Responsibility," they've got a voice and they've got a lot to say.