Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Genre: Acoustic Punk
Buy on Amazon.com

Well this is certainly a different review than I wanted to write. I waited too long to review this album and now Tony Sly has passed away unexpectedly. His death has shocked the punk & music community and rightly so. I’m not sure if this is his last album, but it’s definitely one of his last sadly. It certainly makes me feel somber when listening to this now.

I wasn’t the biggest NUFAN fan or Lagwagon fan but I certainly appreciated their music and respected the bands. With Tony’s passing, I circled back to his music and listened to it again. For some reason, when certain musicians or singers pass, I end up listening to the music and becoming a big fan. I don’t get it but it happens a lot with me. It’s kind of like coming to my senses and realizing how good these people were. And the same can be said with Tony Sly.

Acoustic Volume 2 is the sequel to the Acoustic Volume 1 album that came out in 2004. It features Tony Sly and Joey Cape playing their band’s songs in an acoustic, stripped down style. The first half is Joey’s, followed by Tony’s. Joey’s stuff is okay but prefer Tony’s songs. They are a little bit more upbeat, which I like. That’s not to say I didn’t like Joey’s songs, just something about Tony’s songs on this album that were stronger. The song that I always liked from No Use For A Name was “Soulmate,” and Tony does a brilliant version of the song. Even if I didn’t like that song, it’s still one of the best songs on the album. “Chasing Rainbows” sounds really good too and is different than the original. This version has a country/Americana feel to it. Hearing that accordion or piano to the tracks really adds to the songs. Fuck, why did Tony have to pass away? These versions of the songs are great.

Bottom Line: Gotta have this album just because it’s Tony Sly’s last bit of music.
Notable Tracks: Know It all, Alison’s Disease, Soulmate, Chasing Rainbows
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