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Stalwart Hermosa Beach positive-punks Pennywise have been bashing out their brand of melodic punk rock for 20 years, and they show no signs of stopping. REASON TO BELIEVE, their ninth LP and the first one they're offering up for free (in a joint venture with MySpace), is another blast of SoCal strength. It's no surprise that Pennywise built a huge fan base from their songs' appearances in skate and snowboard videos in the early 90s. They remain wizards at building a sense of momentum and velocity, and singer Jim Lindberg rides the tuneful, ocean-sprayed riffs like a pro surfer. "Faith and Hope" and "It's Not Enough to Believe" are classic Pennywise, with infectious, hummable melodies and a driving punk engine, but they stretch out elsewhere, as on the shifting rhythms of "Confusion" and slower tempos of "The Western World." Pennywise refuse to quit, and probably couldn't if they wanted to.
