When you get down to it, there are two kinds of punk bands in the world. The first group, in which the vast majority of punk bands can be classified, consists of bands who write a few albums, go on a few tours, have a lot of fun, then break up and fade into relative obscurity. The second kind of punk band leaves a legacy that will stay long after the band is finished and the original fans have grown up. Those bands are the ones that change lives, inspire listeners, and leave the world a better place than it was before. The Bouncing Souls are one of those bands.
We're fast approaching the 20th anniversary of the Souls' formation in 1987. What's happened since then could never be summed up in one review. The band crossed the country, and then the world, leaving a trail of positivity, inspiration and screamed-out hearts in their wake. "The Gold Record" is the culmination of nearly two decades of love, friendship, and great music. These 12 songs convey an almost tangible sense of optimism and warmth.
The album kicks off perfectly with "The Gold Song," which is sure to be a classic concert opener in years to come. With its loud, driven guitar hook, shouted gang vocals, and energizing sing-along chorus, it is easily the equal of Souls classics like "True Believers" and "The Freaks, Nerds & Romantics."
From there, the album dabbles with some new sounds from time to time, all while retaining the bands' youthful exuberence and spirit. "So Jersey" encorporates some piano, "The Messenger" features the best punk harmonica solo since
Gorilla Biscuits, and "The Pizza Song" gives off a
Swingin' Utters vibe with its' use of accordion.
The album also contains a pair of cover songs; "Lean On Sheena," originally by
Avoid One Thing and "Better Things" by
The Kinks. "Better Things," in particular, is a perfect addition to the bands' catalogue. With its' uplifting melody and sweetly reassuring lyrics, an unaware listener could easily mistake it for a Souls original.
Another song of note is "Letter From Iraq," which is special not only because it is a rare political song for the band, but also because the lyrics were penned by a soldier who served in Iraq. For some time, the band had been communicating with a group of American soldiers stationed in Iraq through their website, and "Letter From Iraq" stems from one of the soldiers' own writing. The result is a view of the war with an amazing sense of urgency and realism. "Letter From Iraq" ends up becoming not only one of the Bouncing Souls' best songs, but one of the best political punk songs of all time.
If "The Gold Record" has a fault, it's that not all of these songs live up to the greatness of the standouts. Songs like "The New Thing" are great songs in their own right, but in comparison to "So Jersey," or the heart-stoppingly beautiful closer "For All The Unheard," they tend to come up short. Still, it's a small complaint, and in the end it does nothing to diminish this accomplishment. It's more than just a great album, it's a celebration of friendship, love and everything else that's beautiful in life. And when singer Greg Attonito sings a line like "Send it out to all the lonely/Don't forget we're all one family," it's enough to remind us why we got into this thing called punk in the first place.
