It's funny how life unfolds sometimes...just a couple of short years ago, Texas' favourite good-humoured punk rockers BOWLING FOR SOUP said their goodbyes to the UK with a farewell tour and many thought that the end was nigh, but, as it happens, you can't keep a good band down. Not only have they recently been back over here supporting the hilariously sexy STEEL PANTHER for an arena tour, but they also have a brand new album recorded too! Their first proper release since 2013's fan-funded "Lunch. Drunk. Love"...entitled "Drunk Dynasty". Let's crack one open and see if we can keep up with the unofficial kings of party punk...
We open up with "She Used To Be Mine" and it's your typical up-tempo, light-hearted dose of punk driven pop-rock...a quaint little track about the sweet memories you may hold for a past love but delivered in the trademark tongue-in-cheek style BFS are renowned for; there's nothing overly romantic about this in the traditional pompous sense but lyrically it's real, it's a love song about regular people leading a normal life and that's where the sweetness lies, a quirky start.
Lead single "Hey Diane" again retains a positivity to both it's overall vibe and message; it's a real feel-good track and delivered with an innocence edging it closer to it's pop roots rather than feeling remotely punk, especially with it's key-changes and super smooth production but it's a pleasant listen, but, "Go To Bed Mad" however shows a certain weakness that could trouble BFS and sadly, it's what made them popular in the first place; their humour. Lyrically it's pretty much cringe-worthy in places and you have to remember, this isn't 2002 anymore, they aren't the young bouncy rockers they once were and you'd think they would be done with singing anything about boobs...
It's not entirely tarnished however, as album highlight "Don't Be A Dick", despite it's title (and without me wanting to completely contradict myself) is a genuinely catchy piece of punk rock and musically it's easily the most energetic track on offer here and will please those looking for that more rock-based sound, while "Drinkin' Beer On A Sunday" ends the album very true to their Texan' heritage with a little country number, again, it's an incredibly positive song, touching even, and it ends the album on a surprisingly emotional note. Some people might suggest that BFS are going through a mid-life crisis but the truth is, they never really grew up...sure they can and do write less juvenile songs but they also never forget who they are. Sometimes as I've mentioned they can be cringe-worthy but its the childish qualities in their song writing that defines them as BFS and it really must be taken with a pinch of salt. Drink up and get another round in, we've got drunk to get...*hiccup* [6]
We open up with "She Used To Be Mine" and it's your typical up-tempo, light-hearted dose of punk driven pop-rock...a quaint little track about the sweet memories you may hold for a past love but delivered in the trademark tongue-in-cheek style BFS are renowned for; there's nothing overly romantic about this in the traditional pompous sense but lyrically it's real, it's a love song about regular people leading a normal life and that's where the sweetness lies, a quirky start.
Lead single "Hey Diane" again retains a positivity to both it's overall vibe and message; it's a real feel-good track and delivered with an innocence edging it closer to it's pop roots rather than feeling remotely punk, especially with it's key-changes and super smooth production but it's a pleasant listen, but, "Go To Bed Mad" however shows a certain weakness that could trouble BFS and sadly, it's what made them popular in the first place; their humour. Lyrically it's pretty much cringe-worthy in places and you have to remember, this isn't 2002 anymore, they aren't the young bouncy rockers they once were and you'd think they would be done with singing anything about boobs...
It's not entirely tarnished however, as album highlight "Don't Be A Dick", despite it's title (and without me wanting to completely contradict myself) is a genuinely catchy piece of punk rock and musically it's easily the most energetic track on offer here and will please those looking for that more rock-based sound, while "Drinkin' Beer On A Sunday" ends the album very true to their Texan' heritage with a little country number, again, it's an incredibly positive song, touching even, and it ends the album on a surprisingly emotional note. Some people might suggest that BFS are going through a mid-life crisis but the truth is, they never really grew up...sure they can and do write less juvenile songs but they also never forget who they are. Sometimes as I've mentioned they can be cringe-worthy but its the childish qualities in their song writing that defines them as BFS and it really must be taken with a pinch of salt. Drink up and get another round in, we've got drunk to get...*hiccup* [6]
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