Sonic Avenues – Television Youth

What can I say about Sonic Avenues that hasn’t already been said before?  The Montreal quintet’s brand of bare-bones pop-punk really hits the proverbial garage-punk spot when it comes to simplicity and hooks.  After landing with a catchy debut a few years back, the band has honed their likable three-chord power-pop tendencies for their Dirtnap Records debut, Television Youth.  With poise, consistency, and rock-solid grounding, the band creates an accessible and readily enjoyable ten-song playlist sure to catch the ear of fans of The Clash, The Kinks, or The Buzzcocks.

With songs running between the two and three minute mark, and a tempo that never retreats to self-aggrandizing excess, this is pop-punk of an early age.  Vocal static runs light but lands far from clean cut.  While most garage punks on Dirtnap tend to overuse Wavves era noise effects, Television Youth lets the hooks speak for themselves.  Songs like “Throw It Away,” “Waste Away Alone,” and “Static Attraction” match each insistent jangle with timely solos just long enough to keep you swaying without distracting from the hooks at hand.  “OCD Vibes” embodies perhaps the steadiest beat of the bunch, showcasing how to maintain vivacity and extract energy from relative sameness.  It also doesn’t hurt that slick lyrics like “jaded in telepathic hate” permeate the auditory haze, offering engaging anecdotes for expectant minds.

Do the kids still listen to this stuff?  Doubtful – they’re too hung up on Underoath and Rise Records metalcore these days.  But it’s reassuring to know that if the winds ever change, acts like Sonic Avenues will be ready to guide hungry sails.  Don’t expect anything terribly new, but expect to be very much entertained.