The Briggs – Come All Your Madmen

The Briggs are not song-writing geniuses, they’re not always the most original nor the most daring; but really, this is punk – when did any of that matter? Instead, The Briggs fill up their CDs with unabridged energy and raw excitement. They sound like they own the place, and for the forty some minutes that Come All You Madmen lasts, they do.

It’s LA punk rock brimming with unparalleled intensity merging styles of old and new, giving nods to some of today’s greats and some legends of the past at the same time. It’s a straight forward punk rock record tinged with Oi! elements with vocals that get implanted in your mind immediately. Come All You Madmen has elements of Against Me!‘s New Wave with The Dropkick Murphys‘ Sing Loud Sing Proudmixed with some softer Against All Authority. Then rounding it all off is some Stiff Little Fingers and Clash influences – with one section that constantly reminds me of The Dead Kennedys.

It starts off with Mad Men, clapping hands creak in and build before Joey LaRocca’s signature worn vocals come pumping through with controlled anger. You soon hear Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphysadd his pipes to the mix while the same beat that originated with the clapping hands is still being banged out in the background. It grabs your attention, creates a sense of unity and builds the excitement up as it becomes the perfect introduction track to the album. They maintain that energy for the whole album. LA‘s group vocals chant their praise for the home town while Charge Into the Sun has a higher guitar pitch and guest vocals from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones‘ Dicky Barett. They slow it down on Not Alone, Final Words and the powerful, but very soft, closer Molly.

There’s really nothing incredibly original about the release and some may complain that the songs can get repetitive with the chorus constantly being repeated; but The Briggs have crafted a sound that is their own. They play with confidence, mixing woahs with thumping beats and vocals that entice you to sing along. It’s much more cohesive than their prior efforts with a much fuller and distinctive sound than Back To Higher Ground. The band wowed me last year with their blistering live set that left me flabergasted and I can’t wait to see them again and sing these songs with them; because in the end, these songs are meant to be sung together.