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Catch 22
Permanent Revolution
Over
its brief history, Catch 22 has asked a lot of its fans, releasing
three albums with three different singers (the best being Thomas
Kalnoky now of Streetlight Manifesto). Finally offering a bit of
consistency, Permanent Revolution, is the second studio album
featuring saxophonist Ryan Eldred on vocals.
The
band’s last effort, 2003’s Dinosaur Sounds, was so poor it was
almost unlistenable. Unfortunately, Eldred doesn’t fare much better
this time around. While Eldred is competent on the saxophone, his
vocal style could be described as “lounge singer.”
Permanent Revolution is a concept album, detailing the rise and
fall of the Bolshevik Revolution. Though it’s a compelling idea, the
excitement of the revolution doesn’t really come across in the
recording. Even the most up-tempo tracks seem to lag to the speed of
Eldred’s lethargic delivery.
About
halfway through the album, band and singer finally find the same
style, with the unbearable lounge number “Alma Ata (1928).”
I give
Catch 22 props for taking on the Bolsheviks and for a slight
improvement over their last album. However, I still think this CD is
going into the never-get-around-to-listening-to-again pile. Sorry,
boys.
Bouncing Souls
The
Gold Record
The
Bouncing Souls’ seventh record starts out fast and furious with the
driving punk tune “The Gold Song,” either quoting the Robert Frost
poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” or – given the Souls love for ‘80s movies
– The Outsiders (“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold”).
By the
second track, the boys from New Jersey get back to their usual
sing-along choruses and songs about loving what they do and where
they’re from. They do break out of the mold a bit, busting out an
acoustic guitar and accordion for “The Pizza Song,” a la Green Day’s
“Warning.” It’s not really a great song, but an admirable effort
nonetheless.
The
most emotional moments come during “Letters from Iraq,” with lyrics
taken directly from letters soldiers have sent the band while serving
in the war. “All that's left of Bullet Billy is a pair of bloody
boots/ His mom is on the phone/ His girl is all alone/ We all stand in
the rain/ for a twenty-one gun salute.”
Though
the album stumbles in places i.e. the infectiously annoying “Sarah
Saturday,” it’s a pretty good record overall with standout tracks
including “Lean on Sheena,” “Midnight Mile” and “For All the
Unheard.”
For
whatever reason, it seems to take a new Bouncing Souls album for me to
get into the previous release, so I’ll be spending the next few weeks
revisiting 2003’s Anchors Aweigh.
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