Acoustic songs are the kind of things an emo kid's wet dreams are made of, which probably explains Fearless Records' decision to pump out a second edition of
Punk Goes Acoustic for their
Punk Goes Everything series. The kitsch factor dominating the rest of said series is basically gone with all the bands here simply doing unplugged versions of fan's favorite songs, and the record is the predictable result of pop-punkers turning off their amps and adding in the occasional piano and handclap for good measure. Fans of acts like
Silverstein and
the Audition will be smitten all the way through, though really, some songs work much better than others, stripped down and without the driving chords to cover up oft-nasal vocals.
Jack's Mannequin's "Bruised" is unsurprisingly a standout, since
Andrew McMahon is heads above his peers anyways, but newcomers
All Time Low bring an unexpectedly solid performance by doing, well, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Mixing up the emo-heavy crowd a bit,
Set Your Goals' great "Echoes" stands tall as a punchy little melodic hardcore number that recalls early
New Found Glory, while vets
Anti-Flag can barely contain their anger at the Bush administration over the strummed notes of "Welcome to 1984." These songs -- along with a rather whimsical version of
Say Anything's "Woe" and a laid-back, barebones
All-American Rejects number -- are welcome respite from the album's generally consistent nature, not to mention the grating screamo-lite of
Alesana and a rather boring cut from
Sherwood. Perfectly inoffensive and agreeable "punk" ready for late-night make-out sessions between a boy and girl most likely wearing the same sized jeans. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide