Pop-punk 'Descendents' take note

Twenty-two years after Milo Goes to College changed the face of punk forever, the Descendents have returned to take punk rock to school once again. The Good Charlotte's of this world should grab a desk, as the professors of pop-punk offer a 30 minute course in perfection.\nCool to Be You is exactly what the Descendents have always promised: coffee-fueled catchy songs about girls, food and alienation. There is little variation in themes from other Descendents records, but the melodies are more intricate and the songwriting is excellent. The combination of love songs, social commentary and humor makes the record well-balanced and tight. The excellent "Nothing With You" relates being in love to the joys of apathy. While the Descendents aren't known for political commentary, the scathing "'Merican" crams 200 years of American rights and wrongs into two minutes. The album hits its peak with "Mass Nerder," a war cry for alienated nerds who are encouraged to pick up a book and "kick your ass in class."\nThe Descendents deliver a textbook example of how pop-punk should be done. While it won't revolutionize punk, it serves to breathe life into a dying genre, and hopefully teach some bands a lesson or two.