Review Summary: Richmond boys Smoke or Fire present a no-frills collection of excellent pop-punk anthems and secure their future as Fat Wreck mainstays.
It is often said that trends, particularly those in music, travel in circles. A particular style may move out of the limelight for a while, but it's only a matter of time before it returns with a vengeance. Considering the growing popularity of bands like The
Loved Ones,
The Lawrence Arms, and
Lifetime, and the fact that there's a compilation about to be released entitled "Pop Punk's Not Dead," it would seem that emo, as the genre du jour, is in danger of losing its crown, the result of an impending assault from the world of pop-punk. Well,
Smoke or Fire may be a name worth adding to that list, as with their newest release
"This Sinking Ship," the band have crafted a fine collection of melodic and gritty pop-punk anthems.
Those already aware of the band may notice, upon hearing opener
"What Separates Us All," that vocalist Joe McMahon has swapped the gruff, almost shouty deliver he utilised on the previous album (
"Above the City") for a smoother, more melodic singing style, only occasionally punctuating it with a bit of a shout or a yelp (most notable in the Suicide Machines-influenced
"Life Imitating Art"). However, before anyone boneheadedly cries "sellout," it should be noted that Joe's ability to hold a tune has increased tenfold, and that can only be a good thing, as good tunes are what this album has in spades. The aforementioned opening track boasts lines which will embed themselves in your skull for weeks on end; ever since I first heard a stream of it, I've found myself singing
"One nation of division and conformity/United we stand/Divided we fall" almost constantly. Similarly, tracks like
"Melatonin," "Cars," "I'll Be Gone," the title track, and lead single
"The Patty Hearst Syndrome" more than amply display the band's ability to wield a catchy hook or twelve.
The musical ability on display is, as you'd probably expect from a pop-punk album, nothing particularly amazing, with the guitars relying on powerchords, octaves, and relatively simple lead riffs, and the drums and bass holding down the rhythm with the odd fill here and there to spice things up. However, even the guitar riffs and the rhythms the band utilises manage to be catchy and memorable, and are displayed heavily in the long instrumental intro to album highlight "Shine." The lyrics run the gamut of general punk subject matter, from drinking and small town apathy (
"Irish Handcuffs" and
"Little Bohemia") to vaguely political sentiments and statements of non-conformity (
"Shine" and
"What Separates Us All"), but thankfully avoid the cliches and the perrennial pop-punk pitfall (how's that for alliteration?!) of rhyming words for the sake of it. Famed pop-punk producer Matt Allison (who comes recommended by
The Lawrence Arms and
Alkaline Trio, among others) has done a brilliant job with the production on "This Sinking Ship," polishing the band's sound nicely, without removing the gritty, aggressive edge that they possess. The guitars could possibly have had a slightly heavier tone, but that's me being picky more than an actual problem.
Having recently toured each and every American state on the Fat Wreck tour,
Smoke or Fire have been gathering momentum and spreading the word about their refreshingly brilliant brand of melodic punk; with a bit of luck, this could be the album that earns
Smoke or Fire a place alongside the more well-known bands on Fat, like
Lagwagon,
NOFX,
Strike Anywhere and the like. I could bask in the elitist glory of having known about them before that happens, but to be honest, I'd much rather introduce as many people as possible to their music, as soon as possible, so I recommend that anyone reading this who has any predilection towards melodic punk or pop-punk, should go out and buy
"This Sinking Ship," right away.
3.7/5
