AMG Review of Anywhere But Here [Expanded]

Ron DePasquale
All Music Guide

The Ataris arrived on the pop-punk scene in an "emo"-tional way with Anywhere but Here. Echoing the likes of Green Day, the Ramones, and the Vandals (whose guitarist Warren Fitzgerald produced the album, and whose founder, Joe Escalante, signed them to Kung Fu), the Ataris put an upbeat spin on their social instabilities. Kris Rowe sings of young love gone amok over catchy, bouncy pop-punk in album that's more raw and pure than later recordings. Recording 20 tracks showed the Ataris weren't afraid to take chances, like covering the infectious "Boxcar" by vaunted Jawbreaker. [Anywhere but Here was also issued with two bonus track in an expanded edition.]