Loved Ones
Distractions
Fat Wreck Chords
6/10
The Loved Ones fans haven’t heard anything new in precisely a year, so here are three new ones to tide them over before a proper LP. These guys have tweaked their punk style over the past two releases for a more sugary sound, likely reaching a little beyond the .org-core punkers and in the direction of “alternative hits” radio. They’ve continued to play smooth and catchy melodic punk enriched with prominent keyboard/piano for a slightly unique sound. This EP’s sound sits somewhere between pure Screeching Weasel pop-punk to The Ataris So Long, Astoria –era, which is a kinda awkward place to be.
The Loved Ones have never really done it for me – their tracks rarely stand out among each other; perhaps that’s why they chose to tackle tracks by three other artists do on this EP – the Boss’ “Johnny 99”, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros’ “Coma Girl”, and Billy Bragg’s “Summer Town Revisited” (renamed Lovers Town Revisited). These covers -aside from tempo changes and an acoustic on “Coma Girl”- don’t stray much from that typical Loved Ones style, and also blend into the melting pot of boring.
Only due to touring with amazing artists like Gaslight Anthem and Bouncing Souls, these guys have managed to pick up a steady fan base (yes – I’m rerouting the credit given to this band, sorry bros).
-Stephanie Thornton