The
Meltdowns – Critical Mass (Neurotic Bop Records 2011)
I just have to come out and say
it – this record makes you understand why we love rock & roll in the first
place. The Meltdowns take you back
to the time that we first fell in love with music.
Somehow they have managed to take the spirit and essence of all those
great 60s garage bands that we all love and combined them with the energy of
punk to give us a glorious burst of great rock & roll.
They’re driving down the same road that the Buzzcocks, Romantics and
many other great bands have taken us and it feels so great.
We all know these guys from the
3D Invisibles, Zombie Surfers, Helbenders, Seatbelts, RUR (and I probably missed
a couple) so this new project was based on some pretty solid work, but the
Meltdowns manage to hit that sweet spot where everything just clicks.
They even realize that the dollar is tight here in Michigan and have
somehow put a package together where you get an LP with 12 songs as well as an
enclosed CD with 16 songs. This
would be a great deal even if the record wasn’t that great.
The CD checks in at 48:36 for of
the 16 original songs and there isn’t anything longer than 3:46, so this baby
moves! My personal favorite has to
be “Start Listening” – this tune just sucks me in with the infectious beat
and doesn’t let up. “Start
Listening” is a perfect match for “LeSabre Radar” by the Hentchmen –
both of these songs are just bouncing around in my head for days.
Other highlights on the album include both the Meltdown Stomp and the
Meltdown Twist. Enough really though
– this album is a just what we needed to help us get through another Michigan
winter – a nice blast of old-fashioned rock & roll!
Follow the Meltdowns on Facebook
to get info on shows and getting your own copy of “Critical Mass”.