The Loved Ones – Distractions

After Keep Your Heart came out, Dave Hause and The Loved Ones had cemented themselves as a band to watch in the punk rock scene. The band crafted a unique sound that captivated listeners from all corners of the scene. They quickly followed that up with the great, albeit slightly polarizing, Build & Burn. Their sophomore record expanded on the band’s signature style and added an Americana tone to it; a tone which turned some people off of it. The short six song EP, Distractions seems to bridge the gap between the two releases – with equal amounts of that classic pop-punk sound alongside that Americana sensibility.

The EP starts off with three original songs from the band: Distractions, Last Call and Spy Diddley; the latter of which you may recall from Fat Wreck‘s online Christmas compilation a few years ago.Distractions, a song about spousal abuse, walks the line perfectly between the Keep Your Heart and the Americana of Build & Burn. A driving track with Hause’s signature vocals and a building piano melody by The Hold Steady‘s Franz Nicolay, Distractions kicks the album off nicely and memorably. Last Call follows it with a slower tempo and soothing introduction by Nicolay once again; and while it doesn’t have the same kick as what we’ve become accustomed to from The Loved Ones, it’s not a bad track by any means. As for Spy Diddley, having been recorded in the same session as Keep Your Heart, you can imagine the sound of it already.

The final three tracks of the EP are all covers and are all, surprisingly, the standouts of the EP. First is Bruce Springsteen‘s Johnny 99, a song which most reviewers seem to think is the worst track on the EP. Having never heard the original before, I can’t compare it to it’s Nebraska counterpart and instead find the sparse, hollow guitar and Hause’ worn vocals quite endearing. Plus, The Boss‘ lyrics can’t be ruined in any situation.

The fifth track is a take on Billy Bragg‘s Lover’s Town Revisited where they turn the folk rock song into a fast paced pop-punk song ala Screeching Weasel. Distractions ends with Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros‘ Coma Girl. Keeping the same tempo, The Loved Ones opted to keep this one acoustic but eliminated some of the more rhythmic elements of the song. It is in no way as powerful as the original but is a very capable rendition that does the original great justice.

With just six songs, the record leaves you wanting more and eagerly anticipating the band’s next full length.