Useless ID

The Lost Broken Bones

[3/5]

From the moment the Ataris’ Kris Roe discovered Israel pop-punks Useless ID, the band shed their goofy SoCal influence and, over the course of several albums on Kung Fu, morphed into a competent act treading musical territory somewhere between Roe’s band and No Use For A Name. The crucial word here is “competent.” The veteran act’s move to a new label, Suburban Home, has not affected their sound at all. The Lost Broken Bones is essentially how Unwritten Law should’ve sounded on their abysmal Here’s To The Mourning: A bubbly but assured pop-punk act with few tricks up their collective sleeve and enough aplomb to get by. Among the aggressive bite of “Undecided,” the “Roxanne”-esque strums of standout “Blood Pressure” and the efficient EpiFat throwback “Already Dead,” Bones bears enough moments to sustain interest, even if it overstays its welcome. (SUBURBAN HOME) Brian Shultz