Posted on July 28, 2010 - by Editor

Record Reviews: Good Riddance/ Sundowner/ Jeff Riddle

Capricorn One
Good Riddance
Fat Wreck Chords

Good Riddance were a underrated band, but with their demise in 2007, this collection of 21 tracks (and only 44 minutes long) is a great reminder of the legacy the East Coast melodic punks left and a reminder of the legions of bands that took inspiration from them. This is a mix of singles, rarities, B-Sides and six unreleased tracks from 1986-2007 and the familiar vocals of Russ Rankin from the onset on ‘Stand’ delivered in their melodic skate punk trademark is followed by their marriage to hardcore on ensuing song ‘Class War 2000’. Therein lays the beauty of Good Riddance, a diverse outfit relentlessly pushing the punk rock scene in new directions which people across the punk rock spectrum could relate to and find inspiration in. The tracks are of course remastered and with Jason Livermore at the helm at The Blasting Room (Descendents, ALL, etc), there is no hint of their sound being dated or any less significant. With their idealistic politics and personal beliefs still striking a chord through these great songs, Russ Rankin offers liner notes on each of the songs offering some invaluable insight into the materials creation and meaning. Fans should love it, and those unfamiliar with Good Riddance will undoubtedly hear hints of their influence in their current band of the day.

We Chase The Waves
Sundowner
Asian Man Records

I was as excited as the next fan of Chris MCaughan’s music to get hold of his second solo full length, but with “We Chase The Waves” I have been sitting on the fence, initially. With the slow and distinctive slightly straining vocals on “In The Flicker” Chris shows his uncanny storyteller ability which strings the whole record together. Although the sound is far removed from his punk rock offerings in The Lawrence Arms, the lyrical focus and personalised stories are a common thread and with his melodic skills honed on an acoustic guitar, Sundowner is a mix of heartsore folk and painful storytelling. Recorded in the apartments of Chris and (friend and bandmate) Neil Hennessy (who plays bass on this record) over a period of eight months, they have crafted some beautiful songs such as ‘Whales and Sharks’, ‘Second Hand’, ‘Baseball’s Sad Lexicon’ (based on a 1910 poem of the same title by Franklin Pierce Adams based around Chicago’s Cubs baseball team) and ‘Mouth Of A Tiger’. There is a depressing tone to entire sound and output and where I sat on the fence was weighing up Sundowner compared to the dozens of similar heartfelt and rootsy folk records that the punk rock fraternity is currently delivering, conveyer belt style. In the end it is was the personal lyrical content that Chris delivers on this record that won me over, not ignoring his sincerity and passion that so obviously pours through “We Chase The Waves”. With The Lawrence Arms’s Brendan Kelly largely opting against the troubadour route, Chris is able to explore other musings whilst still collaborating with friends in a fully functioning alternative band to The Larry Arms and does so very well.

16 Reasons To Kill
Jeff Riddle
Anarchy Pancakes Records

Jeff Riddle plays acoustic folksy, stripped down punk rock ramblings but this effort is a DIY collection with the recording quality average at best. That said there are some great songs and guitar work, the lyrics sobering and heartfelt and rather unapologetic and not ‘shiny happy people’ material. So despite its rough and ready approach; ‘Bohemian Club’, ‘Creeper’ (an odd to and fro lyrical interchange), ‘For Your Love’ (A cover of the Yardbirds original) and ‘Dead Hooker Martini’ all stand out. There are an abundance of similar solo material available at the moment and credit to Jeff for his DIY approach, but smoother production and perhaps fewer songs would have improved the output, but if you want an example of someone doing it on their own, give Jeff’s personal offering a listen.