The Mighty Fine – Brothers & Smugglers

Know you want to listen to some good old punk rock goodness but not quite sure what to throw on because you’ve exhausted the usual suspects?  Then look no further than San Luis Obispo, California four-piece The Mighty Fine.  Something of a jack-of-all-trades punk rock outfit, the band’s straightforward simplicity will be the draw for most prospective fans for their third full-length, Brothers & Smugglers. 

Probably a little too slick for the Red Scare or Fat Wreck Chords crew, the band melds modern pop-punk circa The Wonder Years with the more traditional tempos and vocals of Alkaline Trio or The Swellers.  While not a perfect comparison, the high-flying hooks of “Way Too Fast” confirm the former and the simple riffs and layered vocals of “Break The Tide” argue the latter.  The quartet plays a fairly predictable mid to high tempo game and makes the most of a tried and true formula without overstepping their comfort zone.  Standouts like “Calypso” and “Palindrome” balance repetition with acceleration, culminating in a confident late song bridge and authoritative guitar and vocal apex. 

Like most artists having fun with the status quo, The Mighty Fine won’t move mountains with their songs, nor will they stay in steady rotation for more than a couple of months.  With the exception of a few highlights, most of the songs succeed on broad, album-wide appeal rather than by etching each defined melody to memory like label spearhead Heartsounds.  For instance, “Snake Skin” and “Bad Form” just sort of ‘happen’ between “Break The Tide” and “Palindrome.”  Not quite filler, not quite an album essential, they’re easy to forget when The Mighty Fine hit its next upswing.

As far as pop-flavoured melodic punk is concerned, Brothers & Smugglers will appeal to those looking for a catchy jaunt of mid 2000’s pop-punk without all the accompanying bells and whistles of commercialism.  The Mighty Fine feel confident in their craft although with plenty of room to further hone their sound down the line.  Until next time, Brothers & Smugglers will do just fine.