Ultimate Fakebook

While This Will Be Laughing Week relied on three-chord riffs, Ultimate Fakebook's Open up and Say Awesome switches up the magnitude for a fresh punk-pop approach. The band is tight, far more than they've ever been, and the energy is infectious. Frontman Bill McShane is quick-mouthed, and songs like "Before You Leave" and the twangy cool of "Inside Me, Inside You" mosh around the likes and losses of love. "Wrestling Leap Year" is oddly similar to the riveting guitar rock of Killing Joke while showcasing some of Ultimate Fakebook's best work. Ultimate Fakebook is more like Weezer's second cousin -- not sappy enough to be emo, not angry enough to be post-grunge. Open up and Say Awesome is a pure rock record, decadent in the rawness of it all. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide