The Starting Line

Ah, to be 16 again. The innocent romances, the carefree lifestyle … the acne scars and crippling self-consciousness. OK, so maybe adolescence ain’t always pretty. But with a handful of bounding emo anthems, the Starting Line manages to capture the trepidation of growing up without sounding out of its element — not surprising, considering that most of these guys are barely old enough to order a beer at their own shows. What is surprising is the band’s ability to remain relevant with its fans’ slightly older brothers and sisters, a pop-punk generation weaned on a steady diet of bands such as the Ataris and New Found Glory. Cred-building indie this is not, but lead singer Ken Vasoli and company make no apologies for telling the tales of the iGeneration without excluding its recent alumni.