The third compilation in a series by the folks at SideOneDummy Records and the Atticus clothing line -- owned by
Mark Hoppus and
Tom DeLonge of
blink-182 fame -- is about as good as modern day,
punk-tinged compilations get. Featuring a number of rarities along with previously released tracks by
punk,
emo and hardcore vets and newcomers alike, the disc's only real flaw is its lack of musical flow. When the biting catharsis of
Motion City Soundtrack's "1000 Paper Cranes" slams into the lush, piano-fostered
pop of
MXPX's "Grey Skies Turn Blue" it just feels wrong -- no matter how great these songs are on their own. Nitpicking aside, the immediate, lovelorn "This Is the Part" by
Gratitude packs a wallop, as does
blink's blistering iTunes rarity, "Not Now." Surprisingly diverse, from
Fall Out Boy's
Dashboard Confessional-like confessional "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" to the
Ben Folds-styled approach of
Piebald's "Part of Your Body Is Made Out of Rock" to the
new wave quirk of offerings by
the Sounds and
VCR, Atticus: Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3 is an outstanding sampler. And the best tune honors here go to
Lucero's "Bike Riders," which incorporates pieces of
the Pogues and
Son Volt into a timeless working class
punk anthem. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide
