Customer Reviews

Time Bomb High School

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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"Time Bomb High School" opens with "Stormy Weather", and Reigning Sound attack that old Doo Wop chestnut with abandon, making it twist and shout where it once only strolled. It's like they snuck their grampa's old Edsel out of the garage and fuel-injected the crate, replacing polite melancholy with desperate vocals, distorted guitar jangle, and a roller-rink organ swirling in the mix. And this souped-up jalopy is only held together with tape and glue and hormones, threatening to break apart in a fiery crash before it gets anywhere near Dead Man's Curve. A total thrill ride, in other words.

That opening shot is no mistake. Ex-Oblivians auteur Greg Cartwright's new combo is hellbent on rocking out like the last 25 years of punk never happened. They gnaw on the same roots that formed bands like the Standells and the Sonics; they dip in to the same melting pot of American music that later forged the Velvet Underground, the Modern Lovers, and the Ramones. Songs like "Reptile Style" and "Brown Paper Sack" sound like immediate classics from a parallel 1950s universe, churning with an adrenalized rush of Memphis soul and garage punk. Some heart-on-the-sleeve ballads help pace the album, but there's never a fear that this sock hop will end with a waltz.

This is the sort of archeological dig that rock bands often get lost in, returning to the surface with nothing to show but an academic dissertation and a whiteface of lime chalk. But Reigning Sound seem to have dug deeper than most, with less respect and a clumsy exuberance, unafraid of shattering a few fossils, and in the process they've uncovered something new and exciting.

Don't get Reigning Sound confused with all those other "savior-of-rock-and-roll" bands with more hype than talent, more image than imagination. This record proves that Reigning Sound could play rings around all of them without breaking a sweat.

Melding the best Memphis traditions of Soul, R&B, and deeply-felt Country with ferocious Garage is something that couldn't have been easy to do... and yet "Time Bomb High School" is all those things: a thick, chewy stew of 15 guitar-and-organ-based songs that leave you out of breath, wanting more.

Play this thing loud and repeatedly -- you'll feel better for it.

Why is Mr. Cartwright (and his band) so underappreciated? Genuine actual rock-n-roll 10 times better than all the corporate backed bands such as Hives/Stripes/Leons/Jet et. al. Almost as good as the Dirtbombs, and that my friends ain't bad. By the way I say this as an old guy who grew up on everything from Beefheart to the Flamin' Groovies so I think I might know real rock-n-roll when I hear it.

From the first twenty seconds this is addictive stuff, some kind of revelation. Every day for the past week there's been a track from this album that I just can't get out of my head. It's classic in the sense that its so well-rounded eg. cool as hell lyrics, well placed tempo shifts from song to song, real passion and rawness in the playing, a depth of sound. As a fan of ragged and urgent vocals, Greg Cartwright's vocal pleas are awesome - a hark back to garage greats (Gerry Roslie - Sonics, Rob Younger - Radio Birdman).

With the exception of anything to do with Mick Collins (Dirtbombs, Screws etc.) and a handful of others, this absolutely pales so-called (by major label marketing execs) garage acts like The Kills, Vines, Hives, Strokes et al. This is rock n' roll for adults, but should be for kids - if only they got to hear it.

Garage rock is all the rage. The Hives, the Strokes, the White Stripes, the Vines, etc. Well, Greg Cartwright and the Oblivians started it all. Now, Greg has a new band, the Reigning Sound, and "Time Bomb High School" is their second album. Its' out on the incomparable In The Red Records. Their first Record, "Break Up, Break Down" was a total departure, for Oblivians fans, full of soulful ballads. "Time Bomb High School" is a wonderful mix of ballads, mid-tempo songs and balls out rockers. Greg and the rest of the Reigning Sound are great musicians, but that's not what sets them apart. It's the blood, the sweat and the tears that come pouring out of the speakers, that does. The record starts off with "Stormy Weather." The Reigning Sound transform this classic from the '30s into a full fledged rocker. Greg has a way of taking a song and making it his own. There are hand claps, great backing vocals and Greg wails like a man who's heart has just been ripped outta his chest. If this isn't a huge hit, it'll be a crime against humanity. "You're Not As Pretty" is a lovely mid-tempo song that would fit in on that first record. I love the chorus, "You aren't as pretty as you thought you were. At your vanity today, I saw you wiping all the tears away." "Brown Paper Sack" is another fantastic cover of a old Gentry's tune. It rocks and has a very cool guitar solo. "I Walk By Your House" is a beautiful ballad. It's fueled by Alex Green's organ work and I can honestly say brought tears to my eyes. Yeah, I'm an old softy, but Greg writes the saddest songs. "Never thought it could be so hard to grow up and forget you. We were nineteen and now I'm thirty-two...I walk right by your house yes but you're not home. You call me on the phone every night to tell me you're still aright." The title track, "Time Bomb High School," is a minute and a half of pure fun. It rocks and rolls and gets me dancing like Tom Cruise. "I'm Holding Out" is another beautiful song. This one is a pure 1950's style love song. "Don't ask the birds to change their song. They sing it all day long. That's just what they do. Just Like I love you. Oh, I'm holding out for you." I think I'll play this one to my wife on our anniversary. The disk ends with the hard rockin' "You're So Strange." It has great guitar work by Greg and a great bridge. I could go on and on about the songs on this record. They're all so good. This is easily the best record of the year so far and an instant classic.

Perhaps the band that most deserves the "garage-rock revival" tag, but they're so much more. Nothing particularly revelatory about the music. It's basic rock & roll in the best way, excellent melodies and a tight rhythm section. Sounds like 1977 Elvis Costello would if he were American. Buy this right now if you want some rock & roll to remind you that it's not dead.

Highlights: "I Don't Believe", "Reptile Style"

This is the record. The one you've been looking for. Everyone I've turned on to "TimeBomb High School" has been blown away and converted to a fan immediately. It's a perfect mix of lo-fi garage and soul - the finest moment of the garage revival movement. You will not be disappointed.

(P.S. "Stormy Weather" was not a Doo-Wop song.)

What else need be said? This is hands down excellent. Have followed Greg Cartwright since the Oblivians days and I must say I miss a bit o' that rawness I'd come to love so much with The Oblivians but anything this disc lacks in rawness (which ain't much) it makes up with sheer rock and roll intensity and mood. Get hip to this talented band right now.

This is an amazing album...probably the Reigning Sound's best, although they're all great. But this is the best, production-wise, the poppiest, and the best one to get for a new fan who doesn't have any of their records. One of my all time favorite records by far.

This album stands along with the great ones that came from Memphis is the 50's and 60's. It is groundbreaking, soulful, rock n' roll and makes you want to seek out and listen to new music forever. Greg Cartwright's version of Reigning Sound was perfect for this one - the keyboards are not on any other Reigning Sound album and they really add a lot of background, much like Al Kooper's did for Dylan on some early recordings. The songcraft is outstanding, the playing is loose, melodic and sometimes moody. The music rocks very much in a retro-modern kind of way - when you catch the lyrics, the entire package really is terrific. The sequence of songs starting with Time Bomb High School, I Don't Believe, She's Bored With You and Reptile Smile are an incredible streak that make you wonder how so few people of heard of this masterpiece. No kidding, just buy it.