It’s been long five years since last full length of Bad Cop/Bad Cop called The Ride. Now, finally, it’s time for the new full length, band’s fourth album. I was looking forward and expecting much from this album, but it left me with somehow mixed feelings. Some of the singles that band released prior to this album were great, the others not so much. Don’t get me wrong this is high quality melodic punk rock with some pop punk influences and even doo wop in awesome ballad See Me Now. The band continues lyrically and thematically with themes such as injustice, dealing with loss, sexism, and current state of the world is ideal for themes these girls deliver. I also love triple vocals that Bad Cop/Bad Cop always deliver, harmonies and main vocals being so sweet yet sharp at the same time. The only flaw of this album apart from previous works is that it doesn’t have any anthems that you remember long time after listening to the album. My personal favorites on this album are All Together Now, Human Is Human and Disbelief. I love this album, but songs could have more anthemic choruses and be more memorable.
Teenage Bottlerocket released their long awaited new full length album and it contains 14 songs of their recognizable pop punk mixed with Ramones like fast songs full of energy and melody, calling them purveyors of so called Ramonescore. Ray’s and Kody’s dual vocals are sounding better than ever creating superb melodies and awesome harmonies. Lyrics as usual deal with sci fi, horror, love and emotions plus humor. My personal favorites are faster songs like High Speed Yoga, also Friend Named Fly, Post Mortem Depression but there are also mid tempo more introspective emotional punk rock songs like True To You and She’s The Shit. Fans of this band will not be disappointed, this is way better album than the last one in my humble opinion, with more catchy and memorable songs. I really enjoyed listening to this excellent album.
Walt Hamburger is in no way stranger to the pages of this webzine. This new record contains first new music since 2019. And also, this time it is a full band record, not him solo on acoustic guitar. Walt gathered a formidable group of musicians with him, namely Neil Hennessy (Lawrence Arms), Asher Simon (Joey Cape’s Bad Loud), Mikey Erg (Ergs, Unlovables), & Jon Snodgrass (Drag the River, Scorpios). This new opus contains 8 songs of heartfelt emotional punkrock, a mix of melodic punkrock and pop punk. Lyrics are such beauty on this record, being almost poetry. Songs are mixture of more straightforward pure punkrock songs, and also atmospheric almost pure acoustic songs like for example one of my favorites being Do Crimes. Walt has such beautiful voice and I dare say he is one of the top singers in the melodic punkrock scene nowadays. Other songs which I must name as my favorites on this record are Insolence and Stay. Listening to this record kinda wakes within me melancholy and sadness, but also glimpses of hope ahead of me. Awesome record indeed, maybe a bit short but sweet! 9/10
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 