IN REVIEW: The Bronx - "V"

In the four and a half years since the release of the last album by The Bronx, suffice to say humanity has had to endure a lot of challenges. In an act of art imitating life, The Bronx's fifth album wastes no time in getting loud, fast and angry; Night Drop at the Glue Factory and Stranger Danger get the record started off in vicious fashion, the former a takedown of both Trump and police brutality while the latter draws parallels between our modern times and the Summer of Sam.

The lean toward melodic rock that often occurred on the previous album was welcomed by most, and there are some songs that carry the group's gift for hooks over here; Side Effects hearkens back a bit to Del Shannon's Runaway en route to one of the record's catchiest choruses. Channel Islands and Cordless Kids, meanwhile, hit a now established Bronx sweet spot somewhere between Foo Fighters and Sex Pistols. Lead single Two Birds might not have quite the same undeniable stickiness as a few choice singles from the band's past, but it does make a case for itself through clever wordplay and some flavorful guitar leads. Closing track Kingsize is perhaps the album's finest melodic moment and, in a perfect world (as the lyric sheet repeatedly assures us it's not) it could be a hit on rock radio.

The slight majority of The Bronx V, however, pummels and spits; Matt Caughthran's vocals often dominate the mix and are by times a little off putting, but if what they were going for was an in-your-face experience, mission accomplished. For what it's worth, the music usually follows suit, with guitarists Ken Mochikoshi Horne and Joby J. Ford wringing every drop of blood out of their axes and new drummer David Hidalgo Jr. (who has also played or plays with a host of bands, such as Social Distortion, Suicidal Tendencies) is up to the task and provides reliable and punishing beats throughout. Sore Throat is probably the album's best example of the band operating at peak fury, while Broken Arrow rides a razor's edge at breakneck speed while making several references to the times and our society.

With a little less focus on accessibility and a lot more piss and vinegar, it's tempting to say The Bronx V feels like a concession to fans who were critical of the band's melodic tendencies last time out. However, I'm chalking the increased intensity of the album up to the time and place it comes from; the lyric sheet is filled with references to death, violence, injustice and religion. Addressing the issues (or, as it's referred to in Stranger Danger, "caught up in the headlines") usually comes with the risk of dating your art, and history is littered with great songs that don't mean anything to most because the message lost its relevance thirty years ago. The Bronx don't make that mistake, sticking to broader themes while rarely making direct references to the current climate; this of course means that it won't be looked to as 2017's definitive political statement in hard rock, but it also means future generations will be able to get something from it, assuming there will indeed be future generations left to hear it.

September 22, 2017 • White Drugs/ATO
Highlights Stranger Danger • Two Birds • Sore Throat