Review Summary: EOA is a true breath of fresh air for all Bob fans. It was worth the wait, and a whole lot of fun.
If you grew up in London, Ontario then you would for sure know the name Bobnoxious. If you listen to Fm.96 (London’s local rock radio), hang out around Norma Jeans or you’re in touch with what is going on around London you would know who Bob and his gang of punk rockers are. Bobnoxious plays simple, three chord rock ‘n roll mixed with punk. Their lyrical content focus a lot on drinking, parties, getting stoned and other things that would get one into a lot of trouble. Bobnoxious is one of those bands that people can listen to just to have fun, and have a good time.
After their release a couple of years ago Bobnoxious had a line up change. The current line up is:
Bobnoxious- Vocals, guitar
Chris-Lead Guitar
Darcy-Bass, Vocals
Wylie-Drums, Vocals
EOA had been in the works for a very long time. They had even set up an Indiegogo to help fun the new album. Turn on FM96, and the title track will be playing. FM96 just loved to play EOA everyday. However, the song about the band's home sparked controversy and pissed off the wrong people. There were news casts about the track. No true Bob fan cared. They were used to hearing lyrics about women using their bodies to get a line of cocaine. Hearing the lyrics "At the corner is your crack and your hookers" didn't phase most. When everything was all said and done and EOA was a real creation, Bobnoxious scheduled a release party home in London Ontario in one of their favourite places to play; Norma Jeans. This album was such a big deal that even FM96 talked about it, and they even showed up to the release party. The merch booth was where the new album was. And man, was it worth the money and the wait.
EOA strays away from the constant themes of drinking until the walls spin and having parties that bug the neighbors. They sing about living East of Adelaide street, getting life right, trying to sound smart yet sounding like an idiot, and thinking over what you are about to say. This is rather new for Bobnoxious. The tracks also have a new twist for all of us fans. They aren’t just playing the same thing over and over. Some of the songs will change the speed, or the structure or the over all tune. The track “I’m Not Home” goes from the rather slow but aggressive sound it starts with and turns into Bob on the verge of shouting angrily with fast instruments going in the back. This is uncommon for a lot of Bobnoxious songs.
Although the LP is not full of songs about downing booze, there is however one that is. The final release on the album Drinking Song is about how a man (most likely Bob) tried to go one night without getting piss drunk. Unfortunately that plan is a fool’s paradise, because his friends call him with an invitation to come and poison his blood with a little bit of alcohol. This song has an old theme for Bob, but it also adds in this new concept of changing up the repetitive sound. The first thirty or so seconds features a light guitar sound and Bob’s “Soothing” voice talking about his struggle with drinking the night before, and complaining about his hang over. The song changes to an upbeat and faster melody about Bob downing the shooters and laughing with his friends. Once again, the song changes to a less up beat sound. When this change occurs, the song goes on to talk about how the bar is closed and how Bob is trying to get home, and how hung over he is. This song is a treat for fans of the old songs, and fans that want something new.
The band has it’s share of faster and up beat songs, and also features some slower songs. All I Be, The Way It Goes and Sad Songs are the ones focused on slow songs, two out of the three are meant to make you think. The Way It Goes is a joke song that every Bob album features. The Way It Goes talks about some woman, probably a woman Bob had affairs with, or just someone he made up while he was high. It is a really inappropriate song, but tends to hide the true meaning of its lyrics under kid friends words. Sad Songs and All I Be really do have powerful meanings to them, mostly being about trying to figure out who you truly are and what your meaning in life is.
To wrap up, EOA from Bobnoxious is their most recent release, and it is for sure worth the wait. It is ground breaking for Bobnoxious, and focuses a little more on the rock ‘n roll genre than punk, with not every being the same three chords. Bob does a great job with vocals as always, and the two new additions (Darcy and Chris) have practically outshined the past band members. They make Bobnoxious still fun to listen to, and make this album a fantastic release. This was actually a really good album, and should be checked out. Cheers ***ers!
