Welcome to Love/Hate, where we will be reviewing both great and terrible records every issue! Because honestly, who wants to read a review of a mediocre album?

Love: The Max Levine Ensemble - OK Smartypants
by Scott Niekum

Our 'Love' record this issue is "OK Smartypants", the new release from Plan-It-X artists The Max Levine Ensemble. First of all, the packaging is far better than any of their previous releases, and fantastic by any standards. OK Smartypants comes in a digipak (one of my favorite new formats) with some really well put together collage-style artwork. The band got really ambitious with the insert as well, aiming to tell a story with the lyrics, rather than just presenting them to the listener. The lyrics are bookended with statements from the band and are laid out much like a movie script, but with artwork interspersed. Speaking of lyrics, the topics the album covers manage to transcend the typical pop-punk genres of girls and partying. This is certainly Max Levine's most serious record and covers topics ranging from the state of art and music in America to the dissonance between reality and how society tells us the world works. In fact, the album is surprisingly dark at times with songs like "You're Bitter" and "Thrash Mt. Towson". In addition to lyrical depth, the band has perfected their trademark scatterbrained songwriting style in tracks like "Firetoowwweerrr" that wander so far from a traditional verse/chorus paradigm that you're occasionally left wondering if you're still listening to the same song (in a good way). And yet, the album isn't at all short on hooks or catchy memorable lines, as demonstated in the short but sweet "The Loss". Seriously, this record hasn't really left my car stereo since I it up, and if you're a fan of pop punk with an ear for melody, I have a feeling you'll find yourself in the same predicament.

Hate: Adam Green - Sixes & Sevens
by Erik Grieco

Rarely do I dislike the albums that my favorite artists put out. This week, however, I was unfortunate enough to get Adam Green's newest record "Sixes & Sevens." The record starts off with a song called "Festival Song." I honestly thought that the torrent that I downloaded of this (and yes I stole this record) was mistakenly another record. It's a tune that sounds nothing like Adam Green. Following that is a song called "Tropical Island" which has the potential to take the CD somewhere desirable...but fails. As I look at the notes I took on this record I see the song "That sounds like a pony" with the word "useless" written next to it. How true. It's a short song, as are most of the songs are on "S & S," that is just Adam speaking nonsense over the sound of hi-hats. All of the songs on this record are slooow. They never pick up the pace at all. That's a huge problem and what makes this record unbearable. But another flaw is that the Adam green style of songwriting I've come to love is just not here. There's no witty placement of vulgarities, no sexual oddness and not one good story. There is one song that's almost worth it's time, "Drowning Head First." The only problem...it sounds just like an old Moldy Peaches song "Anyone Else But You." Complete with poorly sung female accompanyment. The last eight songs are totally unlistenable. Just eject the disc and throw it out the window. Then go buy Adam's older solo record "Gemstones."