Guitars, Drums, Tones, and Saxophones

Broadway Calls - Broadway Calls

SideOneDummy’s latest signing, Broadway Calls, is a trio of pop-punkers from the great state of Oregon- which is apparently not all hipsters, as I’d previously heard- who so impressed the venerable label, as well as punk fans all over, with this, their self-titled debut LP, as well as their magnificent split 7″ with Teenage Bottlerocket.

Musically, these guys follow a seemingly tried-and-true formula- slower verses mixed with fast, gang-shouted choruses. Opening song “Call It Off” kicks things off well, laying out the blueprint of their approach for the listener, and pulling them in with great hooks and vocals that are tuneful, and nasal-y in a way that’s not nearly as annoying- for some reason- as other bands in the genre.

Moving on from there, the band throws down 12 songs of poppy, punky joy. It’s not the Ramones-y punk of bands like Teenage Bottlerocket; this wouldn’t be the album to rock when cruising down to the beach on a summer day (it took every ounce of strength I have not to make a “Rockaway Beach” joke); rather, as the image on the album cover shows, this is a great album to put on while driving the streets in early evening/night. It’s just a bit less upbeat, musically, than bands like the Queers, though still decidedly pop-punk.

I say 12 songs after the first song, because the main exception is their cover of “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours,” a song from the Smiths’ final LP, Strangeways, Here We Come. It’s not a bad cover, though they don’t add a whole lot to it; their take on the song is pretty similar to the original, but sung by someone who isn’t Morrissey.

The Smiths cover seems to mark a turning point in the album; following that song, the remaining 4 songs tone down the punk rock and veer into a distinctly pop territory, particularly on the acoustic “Meet Me at Washington Park.” This is not a bad thing, as the band does this quite well, but it’s a bit jarring for a listener expecting them to continue peppering their music with punk stylings.

All in all, this is a great debut from a very promising young band. Definitely worth looking into for fans of pop-punk.

Tags: broadway calls