Published on Jun 10, 2001
Fearless Records is a punk label from Westminster, CA, and their
bands, nine out of 10 times, kick butt. Bigwig, 30 Foot Fall, Drunk
in Public, Strung Out, and now, with their second release, Dynamite
Boy, play various forms of the same form of punk: straight-ahead
guitar riffs with bombastic drums and rumbling bass that cohere in
magical music. This CD put me in the mood for Drunk in Public’s
Tapped Out and 30 Foot Fall’s Divided We Stand. (Can you
guess what two CDs I plan to review in the not too distant
future?)
“Catching On” kicks
Somewhere In America off with a good template for future
songs.
Interesting riffs in that song and the next two,
“Kaleidoscope” and “No Way Out,” keep the momentum flowing like a
waterfall.
Only the band never hits the water: they are suspended in
mid-air, cranking out poppy punk.
Dynamite Boy’s charm is the straight-ahead vocals of Sean
(guitar, vocals), Adrian (bass, backup vocals), and Danny (guitar,
backup vocals) when they are rocking their way through the pop
melody of “AV99,” an early contender for best song. The guitar solo
on “AV99” is brief but well-constructed. Though I don’t know why
the song is called “AV99” when the lyrics would suggest it be
called “Since You’ve Been Gone.”
The track after that, “Last Chance,” pleases this old balls-out
punk fan. Up-tempo and short (just over three minutes), the song is
cohesive and lets Sean build his lyrics upon the backups of Adrian
and Danny.
If I had to really compare this band to another band, I guess I
could be cliche and say the Green Day single “When I Come Around”
comes to mind. Like that song, Dynamite Boy have found a way to
write memorable riffs and the lyrics. What?!? I didn’t mention the
lyrics?!?
The lyrics to “AV99” go like this: “Since you’ve been gone / I
haven’t done anything at all / I feel so alone / I drove onto
another dead end road / Everything is boring, I feel worthless.”
Gee, how does the speaker feel about the subject they are writing
about?
“Last Chance” documents an equally intriguing relationship: “I’m
tired of you / Forbidden fruit is sweeter / But I’m too scared to
end it / What can I do, that’s how it goes / Marks on the floor / A
bridge better left burning.”
“Lullaby” is another strong riff, though it does sound vaguely
familiar. Couldn’t think of who it sounds like though. “Paper
Hearts” is an acoustic number and offers a new dimension of the
band. The vocals harmonize nicely with each other.
In conclusion, it’s been a while since I’ve heard a good punk
band. Instead of bands like Dynamite Boy, it seems like I keep
getting crap like Leatherface or Hotwatermusic, with stuffy
English/Sex Pistol snobby vocals and boring guitar riffs. In that
regard, Dynamite Boy is a breath of fresh air.