- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: The Reveling
Album: Tributaries
Label: Black Numbers
Playtime: 29:19 min
Genre: Punk
URL: http://www.myspace.com/thereveling
Rip date: 2011-08-13
Street date: 2011-06-21
Size: 58.67 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 265 kbps / 4410Hz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
LIYL:
The Menzingers, Shook Ones, The Ergs!, The Fucking Cops, SHARKS
Punk-rock in the early to mid-Nineties always had such a recognizable and
consistently engaging sound ... something about the dry, manic crack of those
snare drums; the belligerent guitars and bass that crashed against one
another; the subtle complexity revealed with each additional listen. It
defined the style and has kept us coming back to the bands of that ilk again
and again. Some might call it the "glory days" of the genre while others pay
homage to the music's unending influence on today's punk sound. Either way,
the path blazed by bands such as Face To Face, Green Day and Social Distortion
burns as brightly now as it did nearly 20 years ago.
So when an up-and-coming outfit such as The Reveling unleashes a record like
Tributaries and manages to capture the spirit and fire that made that 90s
sound so vital - while simultaneously infusing it's songs with the immediacy
and melodic muscle that makes modern punk-rock a powerful force in it's own
right - it is downright impossible not to notice.
Recorded by Alex Newport (Frank Turner, At The Drive-In, Rival Schools,
Samiam), the Brooklyn quartet's first full-length and debut for Black Numbers
features ten tracks of propulsive, highly infectious working-class punk rock
that is as catchy and accessible as it is textured and nuanced. Much like The
Reveling's well-received 2009 EP 3D Radio, Tributaries is anchored by a punchy
rhythm section and plenty of throw-your-fists-in-the-air barnstormers. It's a
record that spans decades, yet it sounds exciting and new. It is timeless punk
rock for the masses: a rousing anthem for the hoi polloi that is not without
sophistication, but still sounds best pulsing through our speakers at top
volume or in a live setting, cranked out by the band to a crowd of sweaty,
eager show goers.
From the first note of opener "Revival", Sean Morris' vocals are clear, bold
and rise brilliantly above the sizzling chords that melt across each chorus.
Songs like "Chasing My Tail" exhibit a confident, expressive voice unmatched
by most front men, although Morris' bandmates carry back up duties with equal
assurance. In fact, Tributaries' stellar harmonies are yet another high water
mark for an album with many noteworthy attributes.
Musically these ten tracks feel raw and real, a quality that allows us to
mention it along with the records that redefined punk-rock fifteen years
before. On offerings such as "Charlotte Thompson", the two guitarists crisply
match chord for blazing chord before swerving suddenly away, while the fidgety
energy of "Left at Forkright" pulses with a bouncing bass line and
cymbal-driven beat. Meanwhile Ironbound couldn't sound more current, with a
menacing verse climbing to a chorus filled with desperate urgency or in the
duality present in it's politically tinted lyrics.
Though it seems Tributaries could have been released alongside Dookie or
Goddamnit, it is neither a desperate nor innocent attempt to duplicate a
sound. The album's second-to-last track, "Last Act", serves as a rousing
reminder of The Reveling's influences while showing a band that can forge it's
own brand of unmistakably modern, hard-hitting, blue-collar rock 'n' roll.
Upbeat, catchy and crammed with "whoa oh ohs", the song captures how kinetic
The Reveling's music is, how complex a simple song can be, and why Tributaries
- like punk rock in general - remains relevant and will endure for years to
come.
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Revival ( 2:04)
02. Charlotte Thompson ( 3:20)
03. Chasing My Tail ( 3:36)
04. Left At Forkright ( 3:41)
05. Plaster Saints ( 3:07)
06. Ironbound ( 2:31)
07. Black and Tan ( 2:41)
08. Unglued ( 2:12)
09. Last Act ( 2:40)
10. Invitations To Alleyways ( 3:27)
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