5Driver

Self Proclaimed Rock Stars (Negative Progression)
by Scott Hefflon

5Driver wins points for having a front cover of Motörhead’s smoke-filled stage with 5Driver’s name superimposed above the drums, and a back cover of Sammy Hagar (the Horrible) doing a rock leap in his Nikes and bandana-decorated parachute pants. Musically, this Pennsylvania punk band’s debut sounds like Good Riddance, a hybrid of Rick Springfield and straight-ahead NOFX, or, in general, an awful lot of West Coast punk. The singer’s voice is throaty and honest, and the back-ups are not overly glossified (meaning, in both cases, there is many, many a missed note). While the punk parts have all been done to death, then dug up and re-animated, 5Driver’s subtle infusion of guitar rock makes Self Proclaimed Rock Stars interesting. The bonus of Marley’s “Is This Love” does absolutely nothing but make the song faster, but it’s kinda fun regardless.