Rehasher - Off Key Melodies

I've been anticipating this album for an estimated year and a half---from the time I heard the demos, anyway. One thing I admire the most about Gainesville, home of Rehasher and countless other bands that I adore, is the relationship that the town's bands have with each other. Side projects that don't sound just like the members' other bands are hard to find, but Rehasher is a different story. Army of Ponch lends Geis and Gui, on guitar and bass, respectively, while Less Than Jake's bassmaster Roger steps up to six strings this time. Let's not forget Jake (Savage Brewtality) beating the shit out of the drums. Rehasher doesn't step too far away off the "3 chord pop punk" playing field, but it's a field in which they can definitely run with the best. Gainesville bands tend to have a certain distinct sound that is hard to explain, but No Idea Records nerds understand what I'm talking about. Rehasher isn't an exception, but there's more of a fun element in the mix, attributed mainly to Roger's unmistakable voice, occasionally accompanied by Geis' "Fat Mike-ish" vocal delivery. Rehasher's lyrics stray from typical "broken heart" subjects and focus on growing up and life in general; nothing too deep or difficult to grasp. Don't let me forget to mention their version of Bowie's "Suffragette City." The downfall, if any, would merely be the length of Off Key Melodies, a mere 10 songs/24 minutes. Is Rehasher anything more than a side project, or is this just another superb record in No Idea's extensive and impressive catalog? Either way, I'm sure they'll be overlooked and underappreciated (because we all know how these things go, sadly). But for anyone who enjoys this style of music, Off Key Melodies could be your favorite record this year. [www.noidearecords.com]