The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It (2002)

With an average age of 21, the Starting Line on its debut SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT is more than qualified to reflect the preoccupations of its audience. It's also entitled to marvel at its phenomenal success, which it does to good effect on "Given the Chance" ("There's not a day that I can't say all this time I'm living out my dream"). The band hews to the pop-punk party line faithfully throughout--it's pretty obvious that Green Day is as much the touchstone for present-day rockers as Chuck Berry was for previous generations--and while the songs' subject matter almost exclusively centers around girl problems, The Starting Line's breakneck energy and musicianship combined with the pop smarts of its producer, ex-Drive Like Jehu member Mark Trombino (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World) forms an unstoppable force. The band tears through the album with the focus and intensity of its years, producing memorable moments along the way such as "Almost There, Going Nowhere" and the album opener and band manifesto "Up and Go." SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT is pure punk energy in a bottle.