Band: The Front Bottoms
Release: The Front Bottoms (Self Titled Album)
Release Date: 04/06/12
Very few bands can get away with combining indie, punk rock, acoustic and roots music, especially with a name like The Front Bottoms, but somehow, they have managed just that.
Their new self titled release comes off as a unique blend of indie (without the stereotypical indie sound that you would think), punk rock and acoustic sounds – all mashed together to form a signature sound that hasn’t been heard since the early days of The King Blues – those days weren’t too far away, but still, this is fresh!
The Front Bottoms aren’t your standard band structure either: they’re comprised of just an acoustic guitar and drums with some extra instruments thrown in here and there. They keep things minimal but they do it well and it suits their sound and style completely.
This is their debut full length and after having released a couple of EPs in their four year career, this is sure to excite older fans of the band, and like most bands that come out with a great debut, will earn them some well deserved credibility and new fans too.
Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich have been friends since they were at school in New Jersey, and this is reflected in the open-minded music they create. You can tell from every single track on this album that The Front Bottoms do indeed love what they do, which is always a good thing.
The album is full of great songs and absolutely no filler tracks, which shows that the guys want to showcase what they’re about and do it in a timely manner – smart move.
The overall sound of the album is very raw, which can be expected from such a line up, and although it’s not caked in extra layers, the sound is spot on and suits the band’s songs and style perfectly.
The lyrical content is just brilliant. It is blunt and couldn’t be any more to the point, but makes you think by using clever metaphors to describe general situations – not a million miles away from the lyrical examples of Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio. Lyrics like this are well thought out and still sound like they come naturally as anything and straight off the tongue, and the best thing? You can relate to them. Every single line.
The songs themselves manage to come across as humorous but can still be taken seriously – something which these guys should be proud of.
We’d recommend this album to anyone; if you are a music fan who is looking for something different, then The Front Bottoms have really cracked it.
9/10
Reviewer: Sean Benham
