“Punks not dead” but there seems to be a relative lack of new bands coming forward and releasing music. From the great plains, comes The Bricks with their debut album Here we Come looking to fill some of that void.
Omaha, Nebraska near the middle of the US is generally not thought of as a haven for punk rock, but the Bricks claim that as their hometown. From the rather sparse information available about the band, they go back to 2011 and Here We Come is their debut album, released on Raven Faith Records. The album was recorded at Two Dogs studio in Sioux City, Iowa and was recorded essentially live with the band as a unit to give a more vintage sound.
From the opening track “Just Like You” that vintage sound the band said they were looking for becomes readily apparent. Unfortunately, the sound seems too clean and nice for what I thought was going to be some gritty, in-your-face street punk/oi based on the cover. In general, there seems to be maybe a bit too much restraint in the performances, as solid as they are. One piece that does seem to be almost a little off are some of the vocals and backing vocals as they lack the intensity that the music carries, and that may be where my thought about too much restraint comes in. The album does have some ups and downs as well with songs like “Yahweh” and “Revolt” seeming almost unfinished compared to others on the album and actually most of the slower-paced songs have that feeling with them. I do like a number of the songs and see a lot of potential in them and I imagine in a live setting, these songs would be a lot of fun.
In the end, this is a solid debut punk rock album that has some good moments and solid musicianship behind it, making it worth checking out.
Rating: 6.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. Just Like You
2. Punks Not Dead
3. Same Old Story
4. Yahweh
5. Revolt
6. Omaha Punks
7. We Live
8. Red, White, and True
9. Small Few
10. Some Day
Band Members
Jimmy Hobbs –Guitar, Vocals
Kelly Turner – Bass
Chris Smith – Lead Guitar
Matthew Lewis – Drums
Record Label: Raven Faith Records, Feb. 2015
Weblinks: Facebook
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Streaming version of ‘Punks Not Dead’