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The band's 2019 album "Hello Exile" became the high-water mark against which the album that followed would be weighed, as it balanced country-drenched Americana with the band's punk roots in a way that was honest and carved out its own niche. They seemed to be trying to find their way back in that direction on this album. The opening track "Chance Encounters" gives more drive by finding its strum for Greg Barnett's voice to bleat out his emotional croon. This is accented by Tom May's grittier approach.
"Better Angels" might take some time to grow on me, as it does not connect with me in the same manner as the opening track or "Romanticism". There is something about 'Other People's Money" that makes me think this is what it might sound like if the Dropkick Murphys wrote songs for the radio/ "Gasoline and Matches" puts indie rock in the back of it's beat up pick up tuckand takes a drive out into wide-open farmlands, which is the best plae for these guys. The vocals are pretty heartfelt here. "the Fool" just kinda of breezes along with a more casual strum, that crooses over into a late 90s puink feel. I had to listen to it twice before it clicked with me.
"Nobody's Heroes' taps into their more reliable songwriting magic."Breath With Me" follows this path as well, though is marginally more anthemic as the tempo finds a little more vigor. The synths that ring out going into "When She Enters My Dreams" give things more of an 80s feel. There is a great vocal performance on this one. "Parade Day' might stand out more if they had not already loaded this album down with some high-powered emotional punches that a re more memorable. They turn up the dials a little for the title track and hold some of the punk influence that steers them toward Social Distortion. I will give this album a 9.t as it finds the band recapturing the balance of sounds that works best for them and polishing them more with the production value being even bigger using Turnstile's producer.Out July 7th on Epitaph
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