Customer Reviews

Home Again

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After the Descendents and Husker Du, but before Green Day and Blink 182, there was a movement of American punk bands like Chemical People, Big Drill Car and the Doughboys, who's combination of loud guitars and catchy pop-hooks had the underground world moshing and smiling all at once. Back in pre-Nirvana America when punk-rock was relegated to independent labels and college radio, Home Again was one of the genre's strongest staments of purpose. Ten skin tight tunes from a band with talent to burn (all four members contibuted song writing and lead vocals), the album is short and quick, but will stay with you long after it's over. Too young to be legendary and too old to ride latter day platinum-punks' wake to top 40 radio, Home Again is a woefully overlooked punk-pop gem that anyone who ever rocked to Basket Case or What's My Age Again? would do well to search out.

There were any number of bands like the Doughboys in the late eighties and early nineties, but none that achieved the same kind of symphonic quality in their music, and "Home Again" is living proof of that. It's all about the vocals-if I recall correctly, all four members of the band sang on every song. They don't harmonize so much as sing in chorus, all the while playing extremely fast with many tempo changes and even the occasional modulation. It's almost like what would happen if Crosby Stills and Nash played as a punk band, minus the sentimentality. I first listened to this album at fifteen and now, at 31, still consider it one of the most remarkable rock recordings I've ever encountered.

Like the other (2) reviewers posted-
well stated - plus the Descendents/All
duo Egerton & Stevenson producing?
This is perfect sound forever.
Perfect harmonies, perfect melodies -
and a monster drum sound from Brock Pytel
(Thank you Bill Stevenson).

And it's really sad that as of this date
this music is so hard to procure.
"Today" into "Never Sleep" are the price
of admission. Oh Canada.