Ten Foot Pole are legends from the nineties and all those Epitaph and Fat nineties melodic punk bands that ruled the Earth when I was a kid growing up and which I still love and listen to and sing along to their lyrics and songs.
Thanks to Dennis Jagard, frontman and mastermind, this band still exists and has released two great studio albums in last couple of years. This new one contains 13 superb alive and kicking songs, just made for listening to all over and over again. What I love is upon first listening that this album is better than the last studio effort with fine mixture of up tempo and really fast skate punk songs, but somehow there is behind that energy also a melancholic feeling that continues to connect all the songs. Lyrics are personal and great vocal lines besides fine songwriting is what makes this album a superb punk rock listening must and one of the greater albums of this year that have come out. Special mention must be made of Dennis’ vocals which are gentle and sweet, but they fit so nice to the songs. I love the opener Can We Stop Trying To Win? bein an instant classic and I am sure it will fit nice into the live set list. Some songs like Bogeyman or I’m No Good At Sharing reminded me a lot of Swedish nineties school of melodic punk and Millencolin especially. One other mention must be made of great drumming which is like a human metronome. My personal favorites are more faster songs like Take Back Your Voice but the album as a whole is a worth listening. This band is one of the rare nineties skate punk legends that still play and I didn’t catch them play live somewhere yet, hope it will change in next festival season somewhere. Until then, check this one out.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 