No Use for a Name - Keep Them Confused (2005)

Tracklist
01. Part Two - 3:35
02. There Will Be Revenge - 2:42
03. For Fiona - 2:41
04. Check for a Pulse - 2:36
05. Divine Let Down - 1:41
06. Black Box - 2:50
07. Bullets - 2:27
08. Failing is Easier (Part Three) - 0:41
09. Apparition - 3:18
10. It's Tragic - 3:24
11. Killing Time - 2:58
12. Slowly Fading Fast - 3:10
13. Overdue - 3:14

As one of the important early practitioners of California skate punk, No Use for a Name would have every right to simply rest on its laurels, churning out one album of speedy, harmony-infused pop-punk rock after another. Luckily, the band refuses to stop refining its sound. Long-time fans need not worry, of course; KEEP THEM CONFUSED doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel. There are plenty of high-energy guitars and mosh-worthy beats on display, but NUFAN isn't afraid to throw a wrench in the works either. "Divine Let Down" matches a John Lennon-esque melody to an ultra-spare, heavily processed drum beat and lightly strummed acoustic guitars. "Apparition" is full-on mid-tempo alternative rock, full of big choruses and plaintive Brian Wilson-style verses. "Bullets" shows a newfound lyrical maturity, waxing philosophical about the nature of religion and human relationships while maintaining an endearing adolescent innocence.