Children 18:3's Places I Don't Want to Go was one of those rare surprises reviewers like me receive. The plot is simple; one day I was going over my extracurricular activities (or lack there of) with my school counselor, and talk turned about my column here at antiMusic. Upon finding out that I'd review pretty much any demos sent my way, my counselor put me in contact with her relatives, the band Children 18:3.

This energetic three-piece Christian pop punk act surprised me with their devotion to craft, their catchy songs, their feel-good vibes. I grew very tired with the bloated pop-rock/punk genre quite some time ago, so I was a tad leery of listening to children 18:3 as they could very well have simply been carbon clones of a zillion other bands.

Thankfully for me, as well as potential listeners, it is apparent after only a song or two that children 18:3 has got a few fresh ideas to them. The band is comprised of family members David, Seth, and Lee Marie Hostetter. Formed in 1999, the band hails from Morris, Minnesota. Since that time, the band has taken insanely catchy and uplifting pop rock cut from the cloth of Relient K, Saves the Day, and maybe a little Foo Fighters to reap all sorts of rewards in their area. The Christian Music publication HM chose them as a "Pick of the Litter" in a recent issue, and in Minneapolis they won the famous Three Degrees Band Tournament. The band has also toured a fair amount of the Midwest, hitting large Christian festivals like Cornerstone on the way.

The CD itself is representative of why this band has won so much critical acclaim in their field. Like sickly-sweet candy, the band's Places I Don't Want to Go comes across as mis-titled; I can think of many people who'd love to visit this short treat of a disc time and time again. 

Opening track "Do You Mean More to Me Than Anything?" kicks things off with warm, fuzzy, and driving chords that make me think of New Jersey's Saves the Day. The dual vocal harmonies between bassist Lee Marie and guitarist David are soaring and inspirational, really "feel-good" moment music if that makes any sense. David even throws out a slick guitar solo to slowly close the song, and things get even better during the middle of the disc. 

"Places I Don't Want to Go" is poignant and bouncy pop-punk with a slightly melancholy edge. The song throws vocals around all over the place to keep things fresh, and for the most part, it works. "Don't Even Try" is easily the best song on offer; catchy, confident, and laden with enough pop hooks to catch an Orca, "Don't Even Try" will be pleasantly stuck in your head for a week. Lee Marie's carefree "whoa-oh-ohhs" and Dave's guitars riffs (which go from upbeat verses to palm-muted choruses, with a notes filled bridge in there somewhere) are fantastic; drummer Seth Hostetter even throws in a cowbell beat or two for all you cowbell fanatics.

"Bridge" is probably my least favorite track, as it's a bit slower, and it surely sounds less urgent. It really allows the Hostetters to showcase their strong vocal chops though, so weakest song or not, it is still a solid cut. The mellow "He Calls" is a soft pop-rock ballad that Switchfoot might have penned at one time, while the last song "More Than We Know" has hints of 80's pop rock, wing-spreading choruses, springey riffs, and a nice guitar solo. It feels like a great end to this album, and it closes things on a very high note.

All-in-all, Places I Don't Want to Go is a lot like a trip to that candyshop down the road; short, sweet, and to the point, it tastes really good but you know you'll be back a day or two later wanting more. Willy Wonka would surely approve, so if you like your music to be brief but good, clean fun, I can't recommend anything over this. To whit, children 18:3 will satisfy even the most rotted sweet tooth.
 
 

Children 18:3 - Places I Don't Want to Go

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Visit children 18:3's official website at www.children183.com. It has tour dates, news, biographies, pictures, and much else besides!

Song samples can be heard at www.purevolume.com/children183

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