It’s simple, really. Do you like Ramones? The Flamin’ Groovies? ‘Exile On Main Street’? If you answered “yes” to all the above, then Brad Marino has the album for you. He’s already written two of my favourite power pop classics in ‘Wake Up, Baby’ and ‘C’mon..’, and knows how to craft a short, snappy tune with four chords.

And he wields his Telecaster in a decidedly Keef-like fashion on opener ‘Even The Score’, plenty of slide guitar and choppy rhythms, similar to the title track, which straddles Stones/Groovies camps to good effect.

‘Taillights Fade’ sees the protagonist chased out of town, complete with handclaps and a simple, effective solo. ‘Local Show’ will be a familiar tale for many musicians; “it’s a local show, which means nobody will go”. Including the inevitable list of excuses your “friends” use to avoid going/paying to see an amateur gig.

‘Tripwire’ is a classy instrumental, while ‘False Alarm’ and ‘What Do You Know’ remind me a little of The Speedways. High praise indeed! Yes, some of the songs here are similar, but that never hurt Ramones, who I feel would approve of ‘To Bleed’. And when the quality is this high, it’s not a criticism. ‘Take Your Time’ has a hint of the mighty Groovies, with some Rickenbacker twang.

In an ideal world, these would be big radio tunes, especially with summer just around the corner. And the cd has three extra cover versions, as if you needed another reason to order it. In these somewhat bleak times, this is a pleasant respite.

Beluga Records

Ghost Highway Records

Spaghetty Town Records

Buy Brad Marino Here

Bandcamp

Author: Martin Chamarette