Review → Nothington – All In (2007)
Nothington - All In
OK, so I somehow missed out on this band until just recently. I’m not really sure how, honestly. Last.fm has been recommending them to be for a long time now, and I keep seeing their music come up on Punknews. At any rate, I finally got around to checking out their debut album, released in 2007 on BYO.
And despite the fact that none of my friends would listen to anything like this, I am disappointed in them, because they did not tell me about Nothington.
The album doesn’t make sense to me on BYO. I admit I don’t have a clear idea of the kind of music they put out, but this sounds like a No Idea release. Gruff, throaty vocals? Check. Punk rock blended with southern rock? You got it. Catchy as all hell? But of course!
Jay Northington’s got one of those voices that only a mother- or rather, a seasoned punk fan- could love. His rumbling bellow is harsh yet tuneful. I can’t really hear him doing whoa-ohs, but that’s what the rest of the band is for. The contrast between his distinct voice and their more traditional voices backing him up is great, and really adds some flavor to the music. Then, of course, Chris Matulich comes in on lead vocals on the 5th song, singing cleanly with just a hint of scratchiness. It’s like the Neil/Brendan contrast on a Lawrence Arms record. Helps break up the proceedings just by giving us a different vocal perspective to hear things from.
The music is fast and tight; the southern rock influences definitely show through. This record will have your foot tapping along in no time. Comparisons to Social Distortion are inevitable, especially on “Sell Out.” It has that country twang that calls to mind songs like “Ball and Chain” and “Story of My Life.” This is no bad thing, unless for some reason you hate Social D. And even if you do, keep reminding yourself that Mike Ness has nothing to do with this.
All in all, if you- like me- missed this gem from ’07, do yourself a favor and check it out. Especially since Nothington has a new album coming out in October, there’s no better time to become acquainted with their catalog.
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September 22nd, 2009 at 11:28 am
Do check out Milloy if not listened to! Also, in a similar Leatherface vein, gruff vocals, but hard hitting. Just brilliant. The Nothington boys are pretty good too though. You won’t be disappointed!