Live performance:**** Times Seen: 11
2020 Future Punks (2018)-9.2/10
Genre 1: Future Punk
Genre 2: Punk Rock
Label (s): Poisonous Youth Records
Aimless Again was one of my first reviews back in 2014 on my old tumblr. Back then, I considered them friends, but I didn't know them all too well. I had seen them only two times back when I wrote that review. Four years later I'm a lot closer with them, but let me tell you that friendship does not affect this review in anyway, nor did it my excitement for the new album. I certainly am proud though!
2020 Future Punks is a huge step for the Long Island trio. It's literally the beginning of a new era, just as the title suggests. The first thing one will notice when listening to the new songs is the sheer amount of growth. The band has gotten a lot older since their first two releases. It shows in just about every way possible. Aimless Again is comprised of talented sound engineers and beat produces, so they have self-released their first two albums, including doing their own recording, mixing, and mastering of their tracks. This time around, they paid good money to get extra quality work done. That's just one thing that makes you feel like you're listening to a more grown band. It couldn't sound more professional if it tried. Another thing would certainly be the overall song composition. The writing in all the tracks feel more progressed compared to the simplistic garage band-style tracks back when Bill! was released in 2011. GOOD NEWS: This album has eleven tracks. BAD NEWS: You'll still want more.
2020 Future Punks starts off with an easy-going "Intro". You can hear the legendary Juevos chillin. Some footsteps. Then, "Intro" leads us directly into the next track, "Shredder". It already feels like ten years have passed since you've listened to the North Shore Demo last. You've already entered the time machine my friends. "Shredder" starts off with everything that you love about the band. Dope guitar riffs, fast drums, tight bass lines, and Jake Ferring's one-of-a-kind voice. You can hear everything perfectly, and that makes me happy because you'll need a surprising amount of listens to this album to catch everything even if there is (primarily) only three instruments.
The big hit of the album, "Scream" is the next track, and this one is bound to be a fan favorite. Everything is catchy and addicting. If any song on the album was meant to be played on repeat, "Scream" is it. You even get the added bonus of hearing Jake scream his heart out AND a fantastically crafted music video which you can find below! This far in, you can already hear the beginning of all the added "special effects" that are present throughout the album. Not only do they fit in perfectly, but they add an additional layer. It is the future after all!
"My Mistake" has the difficult task of following up after "Scream". Luckily right off the bat it delivers an addicting riff that sounds deja vu like you either heard it a million times before, or perhaps the riff is only triggering nostalgia because it speaks directly to one's soul. "My Mistake" has such good pacing throughout that it challenges "Scream" for the title of best track. For some, it may very well win. Once again, I simply cannot stress enough how great everyone is at their roles. Sean's bounces and drum fills flow so nicely with the guitar and bass. Anthony DeNapoli's bass doesn't feel like filler at all like some punk bands usually feel to me. Instead, you can really hear how good he's gotten at his instrument, and it helps set the mood for every song in a unique way.
So that the listener doesn't blow their load too early, Aimless Again slows down the action and gives us "Interlude" which has a very Pink Floyd type of feel to me. This track would not be as effective without such excellence with the mixing and mastering. It's up there for one of my favorite interlude tracks ever.
"Turn & Run" brings us back to the action, with another upbeat song. Everything I've mentioned earlier is still applicable for this middle track. It's got an exciting breakdown that speeds the track up with Seany's well-known timekeeping holding everything together very well.
"Tracer" will keep your head bobbing up and down, as the band delivers us another chillaxed punk track.
"Rejuvenate" sounds like a track destined to be played on mainstream radio stations, and I mean that in the good way. It's got radio friendly riffs, and unbelievable ghost notes, and it stands out even more than the last two tracks to me. This one is also a contender for track MVP.
"Celebration" Oh man. What to say? This song is another good change of pace. Listening to it just makes you happy. It's a song that would be hard for anyone without Jake's unique style of singing. This one seems to me like an ode to an older form of music, as if saying you should celebrate the past on the way to the future.
"7 Lonely Days" starts off acoustic, which again, is a great change of pace. A punk album would almost feel empty without at least one. The backing vocals and the violin do great to back the lead vocals, and give the song a peaceful vibe. Then, right when you think they're going to jump into a generic punk change-up, they surprise you again by building up on the peaceful mood they've already established. This is possibly the most beautiful instrumentation from Jake, Anthony and Sean on the entire record. When the song does speed up, it doesn't feel forced at all. Jake's guitar work on "7 Lonely Days" simply blows me away as he plays in ways I've never heard him do before. Drums and bass are also unique here compared to other tracks, which helps it shine all the more. After listening to it, I guarantee you'll feel the need to the hug someone in the band and tell them that it's going to be okay.
"Outro", like it's sister tracks, fulfills its role well. It closes off a phenomenal album. It's a gorgeous soundscape that could very well be what I'll hear the next time I look at something beautiful like the moon, or my cat. I know how much the band likes to play around with beat making and pedal effects, and I'm happy they got to use it to close off this album.
There are several good reasons why Aimless Again is my favorite punk band on Long Island. This album showcases all of them. I hope my excitement helps feed the excitement of anyone who reads this, because trust me, it has been worth the wait. If I had any criticism of this album at all, it would be that not all songs on it are 10/10s. Trust me when I say there are no bad songs though. Not even close. They just all can't all be as good as "Scream", "Shredder", "My Mistake" and "7 Lonely Days". This album is still without a doubt, their best release yet and pretty damn close to perfect.
Unfortunately, you can't get transported to the future and listen to the full release yet, but please be patient! This album will be available to the public on 3/16. Get it in just about any form you like!
Thank you so much to my friends for allowing me the privilege of listening to and reviewing this album early. It's been absolute pleasure. Please support them and come out to the album release on March Seventeeth at Portside in Port Jefferson, with Aimless Again, The Unpermitted, Attica, Part Time Bear, Logan Imme Ryan& Seany Juevos! I'll see y'all then!
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| Jake Ferring, Seany Juevos and Anthony DeNapoli |
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