Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Neon Bone - That Dog Won't Hunt

Today I've got one for the pop-punk faithful! That Dog Won't Hunt is the third album from German recording artist Neon Bone. Monster Zero and Mom's Basement Records have collaborated on this release, which ought to give you a good idea of what to expect. And what I mean by that is that you should expect it to be awesome! For those of you who long for the days when Lookout! Records was king, this one will be very much to your liking. For those of you who don't, I suppose you don't need to read beyond this point! The one-sheet had me sold when it compared this record to "drinking big German beers at the high school prom". If there's anything in the world I love as much as catchy pop songs, it's German beers! These 12 songs indeed go down as easy as a cold pint of Ayinger Celebrator. Totally hits the spot! 

If you're gonna do pop-punk, you might as well be all-in. So I appreciate that Neon Bone isn't afraid to go ultra-poppy. And with late '50s/early '60s rock n' roll influences mixed in there as well, you can expect one catchy sing-along tune after another. This is textbook stuff, right down to the melodic leads, heart-on-sleeve vocals, super-smooth harmonies, lovelorn lyrics, and sweet melodies churned through buzzsaw guitars. What more could you need as a fan of pop-punk?! I have to admit that there's always an added charm when this type of music is sung with a European accent. And, man, those melodies! I've been whistling them everywhere I go!

As someone who has a great appreciation for simple pop songs, I must say that Neon Bone is remarkably good at writing 'em. And that's a very underrated skill set. While That Dog Won't Hunt is without doubt spiritually derived from that '90s heyday of pop-punk, I like that it digs back several decades further to the ultimate roots of three-chord pop. If you doubt that pop-punk as we know it could ever have existed without Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers, Neon Bone is gonna be your kind of music. Prost!



-L.R.

https://monsterzerorecords.bandcamp.com/album/that-dog-wont-hunt 
https://momsbasementrecords.bandcamp.com/album/neon-bone-that-dog-wont-hunt 
https://neonbone.bandcamp.com/ 
http://www.storenvy.com/stores/731631-moms-basement-records 
https://www.facebook.com/neonbone/ 
https://monsterzerorecords.com/products/neon-bone-that-dog-wont-hunt-lp-pre-order 
https://www.facebook.com/MomsBasementRecords/ 
https://www.facebook.com/MonsterZeroPunkrock/ 

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