The Bomb is the latest project from Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun. It also features ex-members of the Story So Far and the Methadones. The twelve songs on here were produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox and Burning Airlines fame. It was also recorded at Great Western Recording Company, which is run by one of the guys from Hum. One would think that would mean that the Bomb isn’t so much a punk band as they might be an emo or alternative rock act. But those people would be wrong. The songs on this album have lots of solid backing harmonies as well as slightly melodic guitar riffs, not to mention Pezzati’s vocals which seem to utter the phrase “Who Hey Ho” in great frequency. The lyrics aren’t all throwaways, though, and the songs are upbeat even if the combination of Pezzati’s vocals and the guitar tones leave off more of a melancholy feeling overall (which seems to be a consistent theme with J. Robbins-produced projects). As someone who has never been real impressed with Thick Records stuff, this caught me off guard and is by far the best thing I’ve ever heard from this label. For those who like their punk with a little more emotional edge or for those who are fans of Naked Raygun, the Bomb might be worth checking out.
–kurt (Thick)