Review → The Dopamines – self-titled (2008)
The Dopamines
The Dopamines are yet another pop-punk band. This particular one is from Cincinnati, OH, and they play a fast, fun, catchy brand of pop-punk that draws just enough influence from past heroes of the genre- the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, etc.- to know how to get the job done, without being too derivative.
Their self-titled debut reminds me strongly of early Alkaline Trio material, but with gang vocals instead of the switching-off of Matt and Dan. The songs here are hard-hitting and deliver just enough gritty crunch to call to mind the crappy sound of a sweaty basement show. This is a pretty quick record, with songs clocking in from half a minute to around two minutes long. The band doesn’t waste time, words, or chords when it comes to getting their point across musically.
Every chorus on this album seems perfectly designed to inspire a crowd to point their fingers to the sky and sing/shout along with the band. It’s as if a group of rogue scientists somewhere, instead of working on something remotely useful, instead figured out the perfect formula for getting jaded punks into the music. Then formed a band. It’s pretty awesome. I’m having a hard time sitting in my chair while listening.
Basically, the gist is that this album is Solid, with a capital S. It’s not revolutionary, and it doesn’t change the face of pop-punk as we know it. But it’s fun as hell, and anyone who calls themselves a fan of the genre should pick this up, or see the band live.
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June 15th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
[...] got their craft down to a tee. The Dopamines are promising up-and-comers, who released their self-titled debut last year, to acclaim from those in the know (also, from me). So here we have two songs from each [...]