Album Review: Ramona – Deals Deals Deals

Ramona originally formed in settle before relocating to their home town of Philadelphia, according to their bio the decision to up sticks and move was primarily made because the beer was cheaper, which is as good a reason as any if you ask me. Ramona have now released their ten track debut album, Deals Deals Deals,via Red Scare Industries and as far as opening statements of intent go this is up there with the best of them, two fistfuls of fast original punk tunes that manages to surprise you, primarily because the band’s name is one that is very misleading.

Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Hearts dispels any notion that the band’s name in any way relates to a certain legendary NYC punk band, everything about the opening track of Deals Deals Deals has the same qualities as their namesakes, raw, energetic and hook laden, but Ramona are a more melodic and thoughtful beast. The alternating dual male and female vocals complement each other perfectly on an an album that is insightful, defiant and undeniably infectious throughout it’s ten frantic tracks, each of which possess a slightly fuzzed out urgency, something that gives you the distinct impression that everything was firmly in the red during the recording.

Ramona dip it into elements of punks past in their sound, a guitar riff or moment in a song will briefly remind you of something from a long gone punk band but then the moment is gone and you’re immersed back into Deals Deals Deals. Ramona don’t give you time to draw breath between the tracks that populate Deals Deals Deals, this may be an album that seems to mainly dwell on the dark side of life but it does so in such an energised way that it ends up being strangely uplifting. As the lyrics of Not Your Token state “we’ll make it different, we’ll make it better” and that is exactly what Ramona do.

Ramona can be pre-ordered digitally via Bandcamp here and physically via Red Scare Industries here

Ramona can be found on Facebook, Spotify and Apple Music