trainwreck89
08/04/08, 07:11 PM
The New Rivals - The New Rivals
Record Label: SoBe Entertainment
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Long Island punk revivalists The New Rivals have delivered their self-titled full length debut after previously releasing the Fire for Effect EP. The quintet take on a sound that brings to mind punk forefathers such as Green Day and Lifetime and have created a set of songs that are fun and catchy, if not totally original.
A snappy dance beat starts off “Sell Your Soul”, the opening track that features a catchy, anthemic chorus. You may notice right away that the bouncy melodies and slurred delivery of vocalist Toby Bevis are very reminiscent of the vocal work of Lifetime’s Ari Katz (especially in “Lexican Munch” and “Joe’s Song”). “Mudslinging” is a pure rock and roll track, as it features almost as much punkish shouting as it does singing.
The ska-tinged “Slow Song” provides a nice change of pace halfway through the record. Things pick right back up with “A Love Song”, a roller coaster ride filled with silly lyrics (“Pretty soon we‘ll get to humping“), fast paced drum work from Joe Morrione, and irresistible “doo-doo-doo-doo”s.
You could dismiss The New Rivals for having little substance to their music, but Bevis, Morrione, guitarists John Hudson and Ken Anderson, and bassist Paul McEvoy are clearly a group of guys that just want to have fun. Like with many pop punk albums, the songs on The New Rivals may all seem very similar at first, but the instant catchiness of the hooks often makes up for the lack of innovation.
Instead of cashing in on the synth-based-dance-emo-rock trend that 90 percent of bands are embracing, The New Rivals take you back to the days when Alkaline Trio never heard of eyeliner and Fat Wreck Chords dominated the scene. If you’re looking for a good old school, catchy punk record that doesn’t take itself too seriously, The New Rivals is a worthy listen.
Green Day, Lifetime, Alkaline Trio
myspace.com/thenewrivals (http://www.myspace.com/thenewrivals)
Record Label: SoBe Entertainment
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Long Island punk revivalists The New Rivals have delivered their self-titled full length debut after previously releasing the Fire for Effect EP. The quintet take on a sound that brings to mind punk forefathers such as Green Day and Lifetime and have created a set of songs that are fun and catchy, if not totally original.
A snappy dance beat starts off “Sell Your Soul”, the opening track that features a catchy, anthemic chorus. You may notice right away that the bouncy melodies and slurred delivery of vocalist Toby Bevis are very reminiscent of the vocal work of Lifetime’s Ari Katz (especially in “Lexican Munch” and “Joe’s Song”). “Mudslinging” is a pure rock and roll track, as it features almost as much punkish shouting as it does singing.
The ska-tinged “Slow Song” provides a nice change of pace halfway through the record. Things pick right back up with “A Love Song”, a roller coaster ride filled with silly lyrics (“Pretty soon we‘ll get to humping“), fast paced drum work from Joe Morrione, and irresistible “doo-doo-doo-doo”s.
You could dismiss The New Rivals for having little substance to their music, but Bevis, Morrione, guitarists John Hudson and Ken Anderson, and bassist Paul McEvoy are clearly a group of guys that just want to have fun. Like with many pop punk albums, the songs on The New Rivals may all seem very similar at first, but the instant catchiness of the hooks often makes up for the lack of innovation.
Instead of cashing in on the synth-based-dance-emo-rock trend that 90 percent of bands are embracing, The New Rivals take you back to the days when Alkaline Trio never heard of eyeliner and Fat Wreck Chords dominated the scene. If you’re looking for a good old school, catchy punk record that doesn’t take itself too seriously, The New Rivals is a worthy listen.
Green Day, Lifetime, Alkaline Trio
myspace.com/thenewrivals (http://www.myspace.com/thenewrivals)