The meat of their sound is acting as a harder P.O.D.

Artist: The Never Enders
Album: Air Raid Romance
Label: Indianola Records
Tracks: Ten
Length: 32:56

I listened to this cd several times before I was able to peg this album’s niche. Not so much because it’s an album that defies trends as much as it recycling trends that were at the height of their popularity several years ago. The most current thing on The Never Enders’ repertoire is the occasional emo screaming. They add dabbles of hardcore and grunge, but the meat of their sound is acting as a harder POD.

But, as the prior hardcore reference may suggest, this is no rehash of “Youth of the Nation.” Despite some occasional lapses into more of a pop punk territory, overall this album keeps on the energy and sing-a-long sensibility that you’d want from a band of the genre.

Even with the lack of their own identity, The Never Enders does a nice job of keeping things interesting. Just don’t confuse “interesting” for “creative.” But the part of us all that hesitates while flipping the radio dial past “Boom!” will find a similar catchiness and power here. Buy this if you ever found yourself wishing for a POD and Stretch Armstrong merger.