This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Will the last ska-punk band to jump off the bandwagon please hit the brakes?
Last month, Suicide Machines deserted their skanky roots for popcore. Now it’s Swedish foursome Millencolin’s turn to go over the wall. On Pennybridge Pioneers, their fourth disc, the boys chuck the chukka-chukka guitars and frantic polka-beat pace for the melodic punk-pop of Offspring and Bad Religion. Unlike the Machines, though, Millencolin’s shift is less a sellout than an evolution; despite their newfound restraint and musicality, the band retain punk credibility with their endearingly scrappy approach and socially conscious lyrics. And commercial or no, many of these tunes — the choppy No Cigar, the bouncy Fox — are strong, solid songs. They may be off the bandwagon, but Millencolin are on the right track.
