The Punk Site 2024 Top 40: #3 The Bellrays – Heavy Steady Go!

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August saw Riverside, CA’s The BellRays release Heavy Steady Go! via their own Sweet Gee Records imprint, an album that deservedly cracks open the The Punk Site‘s top three picks of 2024. This album was recorded across two cities and two years, and saw two rhythm sections backing up founder members Lisa Kekaula and Robert VennumMark Cisneros and Ron Miller, both from Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds, in Tucson, AZ session. The second session took place at the band’s hometown Sweet Gee Studios that saw the return of past drummer Craig Waters and the arrival of bassist Nico Miles. The BellRays have been mixing punk, rock and soul for the last thirty years with a sound that can be described by one simple formula: Emotion + energy = excitement. Heavy Steady Go!, strictly follows this rule but also, provides new coloring and shades to the well-beloved formula.

“Lisa Kekaula’s vocals can, and frequently have been, compared to the sweetest soul recordings, but when she lets loose there’s real power in that incredible voice, this is matched by Robert Vennum’s unique sonic approach the melds the best elements of everyone from The Sonics to Mudhoney into a soundclash that no one has even attempted to copy, probably because you couldn’t recreate this unique cocktail even if you wanted to. Heavy Steady Go! reflects two different sides of The Bellrays, one is more polished, smoother, maybe more rock and soul, the other unleashes their wild side of punk rock & soul. The bonus tracks reflect a few of their influences, that and The BellRays have always loved a well chosen cover. Heavy Steady Go! Reflects all aspects of The BellRays, if you love them, then this is an album that won’t disappoint on any level. My preference is for the rawer approach but I’m not casting any shade on the more polished tracks. Lisa Kekaula still has one of the finest voices in rock ’n roll, Robert Vennum brings the venom, and as ever, they have complimented this with a backline, two in the case, that suits the duo perfectly. The BellRays aren’t going to change, and I wouldn’t want them to, and why should they when they have already carved their own unique niche into the punk scene.” (Phinky)