Midtown are from New Jersey, home of Bon Jovi, Springsteen, the Bouncing Souls, and the Sopranos. Copout reference points’d be Blink-182 and A New Found Glory.
Every so often, a young’n’snotty band comes along that knows the roots of punk rock but doesn’t make a big deal about it. They just blow everyone off the stage.
These songs were written and recorded with Daniel Rey after the Ramones broke up in ’96 and mostly completed before Joey’s tragic death in April, 2001.
“Thriller” meets Reverend Horton Heat. Some may slag graveyard-obsessed rockabilly as being campy, but it’s musically talented and knowledgeable of tradition.
Once you strip away the weird cover, the goofy titles, the “if we forgot ya, fuck ya” thank-you list, and the liquor store photos, you have a very safe record.
Good Riddance turn in a performance that puts their last three albums to shame. Though only four songs, their contributions are their heaviest tracks to date.