Labels: Deep Elm
Review by: Andy Malcolm
So David Letterman has a solo cd out. Who knew? Sorry.
Well. Latterman. This is probably the best thing that Deep Elm have EVER put out. It rips, although Latterman are obviously quite oblivious to the fact that to sell a record these days you have to be hip and have gimmicks, both of which they are unfortunately lacking. I mean, who the fuck wants to listen to super upbeat and posi pop punk which makes you pump your fist and sing along? Who goes to see a band that sounds like Hot Water Music (when they were actually any good) with a bit of Lifetime thrown in for good measure? Seriously, nobody likes that shit. Latterman are doomed. They aren’t even playing “folk” punk with acoustic songs. Pshaw.
All that said, 2005 has seen a large number of good pop punk records and bands enter my ears. What with the Gibbons, Pink Razors, Rivethead, the Hartford Whalers, North Lincoln… we’re spoiled for bands doing this genre well right now it feels. Latterman basically deal in 2-3 minute long catchy rockers that revolve around tight riffing and melodies that burrow their way deep into your frazzled brain. The third song (“Yo, Get Into It”) is probably the pick of the bunch, busting out for almost 4 minutes with soaring guitars raising the roof and dudes shouting till they’re hoarse, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album – songs flow into each other with no pause for breath, as the band deals the punkage for a solid half hour. And they don’t waste a second. The lyrics are definitely worth a read, positive and leaning on the personal political angle.
You can’t really say any more here – Latterman are on top of their game, they write catchy songs, riff like demons, cram killer melodies in and simply kick arse. Really really good album for anyone who appreciates rocking and melodic punk, this is top notch.