7YearsBadLuck – Bridges

In the music industry, if you stand too close to the spotlight you tend to miss out on some of the exciting movements taking place on the periphery.  For every Rise Records and Fat Wreck Chords, there is a Disconnect Disconnect Records and Monster Zero Records.  Becoming blinded by the bigger guys would mean missing out on some of the unsung heroes that keep today’s scene vibrant and healthy.  These respectful establishments house a supporting cast of bands like Bottler, Banquets, Griswalds, The Apers and the topic of this review: 7YearsBadLuck.  

On their latest album, Bridges, the Austrian trio unleashes a playful pop-punk style with more in common with their North American brethren than their continental counterparts.  Upon startup, listeners are met with the steady singsong melody of opener “All I Know” which begs instant likeness to beloved Minneapolis punk rockers Dillinger Four.  The shared rough-meets-frisky vocal delivery takes a nod right from the Midwestern playbook – lead guitar chords popping in front of a steadfast rhythm guitar underlay.  Other times, 7YearsBadLuck go the simpler three-chord pop-punk route as per the very Teenage Bottlerocket and The Riptides rattler, “I’m Not Gonna Sleep Tonight.”  Even tracks like “The One For Me” include a faint hint of snarky NOFX, and the brief but aggressively melodic “I Don’t Like Cats” finds inspiration in No Control-era Bad Religion.

All of these familiar sounds are good and fine, but Bridges really shines when they lean on the the tuneful stylings of The Greatest Story Ever Told-era The Lawrence Arms.  In particular, the harmonies and lyrical enunciation of the title track (and to a lesser extent “Birthdays”) could serve as a stand in for Chris McCaughan.  The quartet’s stringier vocalist brings some of the album’s stronger lines to life using the very McCaughan-esque three-part downscaling of tone during the tail end of each line’s final word.   “You only meet so many true friends,” riddles the band, cautioning listeners that “you better leave the biggest rocks unturned / because we build our bridges right before we burn them down.”  While not the most profound line you’ll hear this year, it’s pleasingly insightful and delivered with enough personality to position 7YearsBadLuck above the competition.

7YearsBadLuck’s core of influences could have filled the warped tour back when honest to goodness “punk” acts still headlined the now diluted annual tour.  That Bridges boasts a safe yet expertly executed array of tried and tested punk rock is a breath of fresh and familiar air.  While there’s some truth to 7YearsBadLuck’s reliance on their likeness to other bands, listeners won’t be left longing for the source material, but rather stand to embrace the trio in the same manner as with past greats.