It’s still weird when a formerly bad band does something unequivocally great. Kenny Vasoli’s Person L has managed it, and I’m literally flabbergasted. The Starting Line made magic here and there (that one song on Direction, the one where he missed a girl, etc.), but they were never really anything other than what they appeared. From the first complex moments of mostly instrumental opener “Hole In The Fence,” it becomes obvious that Person L’s previous problems, namely the frustrating inclination to sit stagnant instead of explode, are long gone. With Person L, he has truly unchained himself from every shackle being a pop-punk icon brings with it. And he didn’t have to go metal like the ugliest guy from Fall Out Boy or go stupid like Gabe Saporta. He just went creative, and sure, maybe he listened to too many Radiohead albums, but most people would tell you that’s a good thing. But even more importantly than The Positves’ successes is the fact that Vasoli has reached his full potential. Somewhere, he’s smiling.

So what can you expect from someone who’s mastered the craft? Surely more mastering of the craft, or a stamp of approval and a toss into the history books. Like Kenny Vasoli, the singer behind the start-up pop-punk wonder boys, The Starting Line. At this point in his career, it’s not that he has done it all, it’s just that, when it comes to pop-punk, there isn’t much more he has to learn.

Which is why when word came out that Mr. Vasoli had a little ‘ol side project, it made sense. Here’s someone who’s been dribbling sweet hooks for the greater part of his young adult years, spinning, caressing and nourishing them like a pro. A more experimental and indie side project was inevitable. A boy’s gotta explore his boundaries, right? Vasoli grabbed some friends (Brian Medlin, Charles Schnieder, Nathaniel Vaeth, and Ryan Zimmaro, to be exact) and demos started to peek out of his Myspace page. People got pumped.