Welcome to Virginia: The Ready Series

Album Review

No doubt issued to align with the mid-2006 release of Over It's first major-label offering, Negative Progression Records has had the courtesy to remix and remaster the band's 2001 debut, The Ready Series, for a proper reissue à la Welcome to Virginia: The Ready Series. This 12-song set is pretty much the standard issue emo-leaning pop-punk that bands like Rufio and early Saves the Day specialize in, and there's not too much here to distinguish Over It from the rest of the pack appearing in the wake of blink-182's mainstream success. But regardless of the fact that they're still very much coming into their own, Over It has already cornered the driving rhythms and hopeful lyrics that appeal to any high school kid spending days wading through love and dreaming of places outside their hometown's city limits. This reissue features new artwork and the sound is admittedly cleaner, so those who only know Over It from their later material, this is certainly a worthy listen to see where they started. Not essential (and totally unnecessary for those who already own the first version), but this still owns enough memorable moments to make it worth a purchase for fans of the group.