{"id":6788,"date":"2021-09-07T13:38:05","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T12:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=6788"},"modified":"2021-09-07T13:38:07","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T12:38:07","slug":"teenage-bottlerocket-keeping-the-ramones-spirit-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=6788","title":{"rendered":"Teenage Bottlerocket keeping the Ramones’ spirit alive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Teenage Bottlerocket – Sick Sesh! (Fat Wreck Chords)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Teenage Bottlerocket have been making high-energy pop-punk for nearly 20 years now, so are unlikely to attempt any major shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, their sound and style owes much to the late, great Ramones, down to the leather jacket and Converse look they adopt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course they’re influenced by the likes of Green Day, Bouncing Souls and Offspring; but who that’s making this kind of music isn’t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the ninth studio album of the Wyoming quartet’s career, and while it’s still melodic, it packs a fairly hefty punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, it harks back to their best albums, 2009’s They Came From The Shadows<\/em> and 2012’s Freak Out!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"teenage
Teenage Bottlerocket. Pic: Jason Pendleton.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Less radio-friendly than their previous record, 2019’s Stay Rad!<\/em>, it’s pop-punk with real bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vocalist\/guitarist Ray Carlisle says the record is 12 songs long because 14 was too many, and they wanted to keep the energy up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve certainly succeeded in that, as they push the pedal to the metal from the off, and barely let it up for the next 35 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teenage Bottlerocket benefit from having three songwriters: Carlisle, guitarist Kody Templeman (who’s also in The Lillingtons) and bassist Michael Chen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing your mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most of Sick Sesh!<\/em> was written pre-Covid, but the pandemic gave them a little time to add something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, we get the Templeman-penned Strung Out On Stress<\/em>, the fastest, angriest track here, about losing your mind during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there’s the mid-tempo, more melodic The Squirrel<\/em>, written by bassist Miguel Chen and sung by Templeman, which is – no kidding – about watching a squirrel during lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squirrel song<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s a great feelgood tune, and before you know it you’ll be belting out: “You’re my friend, little guy, you’re my dude\/We’re not so different you and I\/We’re both just trying to get by.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen also wrote the infectious lead single<\/a><\/strong> Ghost Story<\/em>, which starts out in Alkaline Trio territory: “I didn\u2019t mean to die in the woods that day\/I was just messing around, I thought I\u2019d be okay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things take an upturn when our spirit makes it clear he means no harm, he just wants his girl to know he’s got her back: “You can\u2019t ignore the floating objects\/Or the shivers down your spine\/It\u2019s true I may have left my body\/But I\u2019m not leaving you behind.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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