Album Review: Destroy Boys – Make Room

Oakland duo Destroy Boys self released their latest album, Make Room, last week, the album is something of a departure from the previous recordings, something that is underlined by the different approaches to the track Duck Eat Duck World, the song appears on the both their debut album, Sorry, Mom, and their latest full length, it’s the same track but it’s world’s apart in delivery with the latest version sounding tuned up and focused, an approach that has seen Destroy Boys move subtly away from their original sound without abandoning their garage punk roots.

American River is the perfect opener, it carries the energy of first generation American punk and mixes this with the spirit of riot grrrl scene to create a perfect hybrid, to prove this wasn’t a fluke the energy carries over into Methatonin, but this is no one trick pony, tracks like Vixen edge into a darker new wave feel and the album abruptly shifts style for the slower brooding track Piedmont. Crybaby shifts the album back in gear, it delivers three perfect minutes of punk rock that kick starts a trio of tracks that build towards Make Room‘s impressive finale, Soundproof.

Make Room is an album with a dark undercurrent that is borne of the Danzig era recordings by The Misfits, there are obvious influences and comparisons from across the last four decades, including L7, The Lunachicks and the early recordings by The Distillers to name but a few, the fact that Make Room resonates with the band’s influences, yet manages to avoid ever sounding like anyone but Destroy Boys is what makes this such an impressive release, that and from the opening chords of American River I was hooked, Make Room? you should.

Make Room can be streamed via Spotify here and Apple Music & iTunes here

Destroy Boys website can be found here