Review: Bayside - The Walking Wounded
Posted on 11 August 2007 | 2 Comments
Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk
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Many people (perhaps) know of the New York band Bayside due to the tragic van crash that lead to the death of their drummer John “Beatz” Holohan in 2005 and the Acoustic EP that followed. The band hasn’t wallowed in self-pity though as the truth of the matter is that Bayside brilliantly blends the sounds of catchy pop-rock with the fury of metal-influenced emo-core on their latest album The Walking Wounded. I’d heard the band in the past, but this album seems like a big step forward.
The Walking Wounded starts off strong and remains remarkably consistent throughout with singer/guitarist Anthony Raneri’s slightly lazy vocal affectation spitting out melody after catchy melody. And even though the album is filled with huge guitar riffs and a big-budget production sheen that remind me of more of the nu-pop-punk of bands like MCR and PIATD!, lyrically and stylistically it is obvious that the band owes more to desperate sounds of The Smoking Popes and Alkaline Trio.
Bayside has not reinvented the wheel with The Walking Wounded, but they aren’t ripping anybody off either. They aren’t afraid of combining an infectious “whoa whoa” sing-a-long chorus with a Snapcase-style breakdown. They also aren’t afraid of adding strings and subtle orchestration to many of the songs as well. Bayside is a working-class band that means what they say and plays by their own rules.
While it may not be fast enough for the punk kids, too poppy for the hardcore kids, and not quite polished enough for the radio, The Walking Wounded is certainly good enough for me. It is Bayside’s best album to date and is out now on Victory Records.
MP3 | Bayside – Duality The Walking Wounded
MP3 | Bayside – Dear Your Holiness The Walking Wounded
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