EP REVIEW: River City Rebels – Pop Culture Baby (Screaming Crow Records)
After a few years away, Vermont punk rock ‘n’ rollers River City Rebels make a welcome return with a four-song EP.
Formed back in 1997, the New Englanders released seven albums and a string of singles before going their separate ways in 2014.
Five years on, founding member/frontman Dan ‘Bopper’ O’Day got the band back together, and fast forward five more years he’s joined by yet another new line-up, featuring Marc Conti, Izzy DeSimone, Kody Sanborn and Adam Allard.
The first fruit of their labours was a digital-only single, Humble Me, last year, and now they’re back with their first physical release since 2014’s Head To Hell single, for the same label.
It’s four prime slices of catchy-as-hell glam-inflected guitar-driven punk. Lead track Pop Culture Baby is all New York Dolls-style swagger and attitude as O’Day sings “you don’t fuck with art, you’re a pop culture baby”.
Second song Rock A Cross likens following a religion to being addicted to drugs, with more slashing guitars and gang vocals.
Unless You’re White, which kicks off the B-side, calls out racism, while last track Abuse Myself flashes past in less than a minute and a half, leaving you wanting more.
Hopefully this EP is just a taste of things to come from the River City Rebels, because on this evidence they’re back with a bang.
The Pop Culture Baby EP is available on four different colours on 7in vinyl. You can check it out at the River City Rebels Bandcamp page HERE.
