The Loved Ones

Distractions EP

Written by: PP on 06/02/2009 00:25:53

Fat Wreck Chords' very own The Loved Ones failed to impress me on their previous record, which is why I dropped the idea of reviewing it, but their new EP "Distractions" is absolutely worth a review and some check-outs by many of you readers, too. These guys play an anthemic style of punk rock that dwells somewhere between melodicore and pop punk, containing both the raw edge and hyperactivity of the former as well as the killer choruses and catchy hooks of the latter. Winning combination? You bet.

The EP opens with a poppy track "Distracted", which still has enough punch in it to send you dancing. The chorus is among the catchiest The Loved Ones have written; it's damn near impossible not to bob your head along the fast rhythm and the passionate strains in their vocalist's voice. "Last Call" starts out with a strangely slow piano-interlude, but soon enough the power chords kick in again and we're back in melodicore territory along the lines of bands like The Flatliners and Kid Dynamite. There's also enough of a positive feel-good vibe going on to justify a comparison to The Gaslight Anthem, which is fortified by "Spy Diddle" as well as the Bruce Springsteen cover "Johnny 99" (that isn't a very good one, though, I've been told).

But enough name-dropping, The Loved Ones aren't just a clone band, they've got much more to offer than that, at least if this EP is to be an indication. If your daily diet consists of pop punk bands that are rawer than the overproduced garbage known as the last two Fall Out Boy albums, and you normally take a liking to bands that keep things overtly melodic and fast simultaneously, then checking out "Distractions" EP should be a no-brainer. It's only just over 15 minutes long, but hey, at least it's enjoyable throughout without any filler.

Download: Distracted, Spy Diddley
For the fans of: The Flatliners, The Gaslight Anthem, Kid Dynamite
Listen: Myspace

Release date 03.02.2009
Fat Wreck Chords

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