I’ve previously waxed poetic about MxPx and how they were one of “gateway” bands into the magical world of punk rock music during my middle school years. I’ll always hold Life In General a notch above everything else in their discography for the simple fact that it was the first album of theirs I listened to and truly fell in love with, but The Ever Passing Moment is definitely a close second on that list. This was the album that gave the band a little bit of mainstream credibility (I was soooo pumped to see “Responsiibility” on MTV), set the stage for them to do the theme song for the 2002 Scooby Doo movie, and led to them becoming more widely known on the Vans Warped Tour circuit. The fact that it was produced by the late great Jerry Finn, whose contributions to punk rock in the 90’s and early aughts is unparalleled, makes this album even more fun to listen to again. All the Finn tricks of the trade are present here, from the whip-crack of the snare drum, bass guitars that thump with impeccable low end, vocals that slide perfectly into the mix, and guitars that sound larger than life. It’s a great punk rock record for anyone looking for a taste of what the new millennium sounded like.
Standout Songs: “My Life Story”, “Responsibility”, “Two Whole Years”, “Next Big Thing”, “One Step Closer To Life”
