If you've never heard of Stephen Egerton, you better get on that shit son. The guitarist most renowned for his work with the Descendents and ALL has ventured out into the musical wilderness on his own, carrying only a guitar, bass and drum set. I guess it isn't fair to describe his journey as a solo trip; Egerton gets by with a little help from his friends -- and what an auspicious group of friends they are.
The lineup of guest singers on The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton reads like a veritable "Who's Who" of first-gen pop-punkers. Some of the highlights: Chad Price of ALL, Bill McShane of Ultimate Fakebook, Milo Aukerman of the Descendents, Mike Herrera of MXPX, Joey Cape of Lagwagon and Chris DeMakes of Less Than Jake. The album also includes a few notable new-school pop-punkers, like Tim McIlrath of Rise Against and Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio, to round out the vocal duties nicely.
Surprisingly versatile considering its minimalist construction, TSDOSE does a surprising amount of work while leveraging some seriously catchy hooks. I'd liken most of the album to the less experimental/noise-punk work of both ALL and the Descendents, staying plenty interesting but never veering out of the territory it lays the groundwork for early on in the album. If there's one thing you can say about Egerton's previous work and how it compares to his first solo album, it would be that the man has found a formula for punk rock success.
The variation of the vocals on the album does a fantastic job keeping it interesting. If you listen all the way through and preserve the continuity, it's hard to think that the track order is anything but purposeful, and I find myself drifting off into daydreams of hypothetical side projects between Egerton and each recognizable lead vocalist.
You don't want to miss this one. A strong freshman solo effort from an elderly (non lead vocalist) punker is a rare thing.
"I like food / food tastes good."
-- The Descendents, "I Like Food"
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