Pop punk/indie punk band The Carolyn have been likened to The Gaslight Anthem and The Lawrence Arms, and one listen to their 2023 EP ‘Harmful History’ will make it really obvious why. These guys truly wear their influences on their collective sleeve, but in terms of any recycling, it results in something that’s been made with love. More importantly, its familiarity makes it massively enjoyable with immediate effect.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
PET TWIN – Cabrini-Green / Lonely Ghost
Helmed by Juniper Nights frontman James Gallagher, Pet Twin is the kind of side project that could eclipse the musician’s “main band”. On this 2023 release, Gallagher explores a sound that’s very retro and yet almost timeless.
PHIL LYNOTT’S GRAND SLAM – Slam Anthems
Thin Lizzy were an exceptional rock band. The classic mid 70s line up managed to capture lightning in a bottle with Phil Lynott’s charisma and the trademark twin guitar sounds of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Even when the band shifted line-ups to include Snowy White and, latterly, John Sykes for a heavier sound, they were still a top tier rock band. True legends.
THE BELLRAYS – Ball Of Confusion / I Fall Down
The eighth release in i-94 Records’ Detroit covers series is an absolute belter. On this 2023 7”, rock ‘n’ soul duo The BellRays take The Temptations’ classic ‘Ball of Confusion’ and shake it up rather dramatically. Coupled with their self-penned (and previously unreleased) ‘I Fall Down’, it results in a fiery double whammy that’s a great showcase for a massively underrated act.
BAD MARY Trash & Glamour EP
Bad Mary’s third release, 2016’s ‘We Could Have Saved The World’ presented a great blend of pop punk and trashy rock, as if the band had absorbed little bits of the second Save Ferris album and Duff McKagan’s Loaded, before regurgitated them with bits of Bowling For Soup’s pop savvy, which created something of their own. It was the kind of EP that deserved to win fans quickly, and on their 2019 full length, the band showed off an equally impressive array of musical skills that suggested their love of classic styles wasn’t about to wear thin any time soon.