Here on the western edge of southeastern Pennsylvania, brom bones are bona fide punk rock legends. I find it inspiring and exciting that they're still going strong after 35 years — releasing music that rivals or even surpasses their 1990s output. Give up the Ghost, their new album, is in many ways a vintage brom bones release. The influence of '80s melodic punk/post-hardcore/whatever you wanna call it on their songwriting and musical style is still palpable. Yet a few of these songs are not exactly what you'd expect from a brom bones album. That mixture of dependable and surprising is a winning formula, and Give up the Ghost is not an album I need to grade on a curve. It's not just a terrific album for a veteran punk band — it's a terrific album, period.
Thirty seconds into "Rooftop Guerilla," I found myself ready to jump in the pit. Likewise, on songs like "Pop Rocks" and "Up to You," I'm reminded of a time when punk rock could be melodic and anthemic without necessarily being segregated into the realm of "pop-punk." "EVP" is the anthem for every Gen Xer who swears that spirits live among us. Elsewhere, this album treats us to a creative instrumental ("Theme"), a power ballad ("Chicago'), a proper ballad ("Give Up the Ghost"), a great power pop song ("Orange Crush"), and even a humorous ode to Glenn Danzig. There's a little bit of comedy and a whole lot of seriousness in the mix, and it's all pulled off with definitive class. If this ends up being the last brom bones album, it could write the book on how to go out on a high note. Jason, Chris, Dustin, and Matt put a lot of work into this record, and they've ended up with something they are rightfully proud of. Imagine forming a punk band as a teenager and being able to say the band stayed true to its original spirit for decades — while still evolving and maturing in a totally natural way. Give up the Ghost is out now on limited Coke bottle green vinyl via Bandcamp!
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