Roadside Bombs – Rise Up

Pirates Press Records / Contra Records

 

Looky, looky – a brand new Roadside Bombs LP! Three years after their excellent debut full-length “My Side Of Town”, Sonoma’s very own (and probably only by now) punk rockers are back with their sophomore album “Rise Up”. Released by Pirates Press Records and Chapter Eleven, “Rise Up” contains nine brand new tracks and the two songs off last year’s “War On Love” 45.

 

Now if you wondered if Roadside Bombs’ sound could get any more melodic compared to 2014’s “My Side Of Town” – stop wondering! Because the answer is right on this slab of wax. “Rise Up” is by far the bands’ catchiest work to date, but nonetheless it is still filled with adrenaline driven, fast-paced punk rock that sounds – somewhat – like a mix between The Crowd, The Bodies and... Screeching Weasel maybe? It has that typical Californian style to it (which is not that weird of course), a ton of energy and thanks to the relatively short songs, “Rise Up” is over before you know it. Only to give it one more spin!

 

Aside the aforementioned “War On Love” 7”, the album also contains the two tracks off the “Best Of The Best” picture disc single – casually released on the same date as “Rise Up”, September 22 (2017). The title track of this single, a personal ode to the late Bruce Roehrs, is definitely one of my favorites of the album, though the Roadside Bombs never weaken on “Rise Up”.

 

With that being said, I am sure some of  you readers won’t get into this – but hey, next review is for you again! If you like your punk rock energetic, positive, fast and short (at least for most of the album), the Roadside Bombs’ “Rise Up” is most likely your thing! Rise up!