Unt
1 2 3 4 Go!, 2024
10/10
Few side projects in the world of punk rock will ever be as great or lengthy as Pinhead Gunpowder, whose first EP in 1992 established them as a supergroup of massive talent. Sure, they’ve had lengthy periods of dormancy, but they’ve always come back with more great tunes, including the 14 that make up this 3rd album.
The title track gets the listen off to a very catchy start, where Billie Joe Armstrong’s razor sharp guitar and Aaron Cometbus’ scrappy drumming invites some garage rock spirit, and the ultra melodic “Difficult But Not Impossible” follows, where grittier singing and Bill Schneider’s complicated bass lines won’t go unnoticed.
Moving along, the buzzing “Draw It In” is full of vocal harmonies and timeless pop punk nods, while “Here Goes The Neighborhood” puts Jason White on vocals, who also contributes detailed guitar work for the album.
Later on, “Chowchilla” is a more forceful moment, where the hard hitting rhythm section and dense guitars suit Armstrong’s raw singing, and “Song For Myself” exits with is a breezy moment of light melodies and vocals from both Armstrong and White.
The members of Pinhead Gunpowder have resumes that include playing in Monsula, Chino Horde, Crimpshrine and Green Day. Maybe you only recognize one of the those bands, but they’re all great, and so is this tuneful and instantly memorable punk rock record.
Travels well with: Night Court/The Dumpies- Shit Split; Suzi Moon- Animal