New record packed with good value

Value Pac has found its way back onto the local music scene with its latest album "Incognito." 

After bursting on to the local scene as a bunch of high school juniors in 1996, the band has finally grown up with this album which is mature, focused, and secure their beliefs. 

The band has overcome a number of record label changes, at least one  breakup, and a couple of tragedies to provide the world with its first new album in nearly three years. 

Now on their third record label, the Internet based Four Door Entertainment, the band has finally carved out a niche for themselves by providing straightforward rock in the vein of Green Day and Social Distortion.

The new album should please fans of both previous releases. Songs such as "Corporate Cover Up" and "Don't Let Go" hark back to their faster punk rock days captured on their self-titled debut release, while "She Told Me" and "Cheyenne" could have easily appeared on their last album, "Jalapeno."

However it is not these songs that make this album stand out. Songs such as "That's the Way It Goes" and "Free" show off the band's talents for mixing pop melodies and rock attitude. 

The most impressive song on the album is the revealing, distortion drenched and brutally honest "Dear God." 

Lead singer Ryan Sheely has admittedly always had a fascination with the Beatles, covering at least two of their songs on tour, and on this album the influence finally shows through in their songs. 

A fair amount of acoustic guitar, many very Beatlesesque song structures and, a ton of harmony vocals, which have become the band's trademark, all adorn the album.

The album sadly marks the end of an era as it is the final album on which former Social Distortion lead guitarist Dennis Danell's influence will be felt. 

Danell, who passed away at the end of February at 38, was the produced recorded the album in his Fullerton studio, The Casbah. 

Upon hearing about his death, the band decided to dedicate the album in his memory.