New Jersey’s Lifeguard Nights return with more Springsteen-aping, brass-heavy, comic-tinted rock n’ roll. In terms of progression from 2007’s ‘The Church of Song’, well, it’s pretty much more of the same sound. Sort of.
There’s nothing wrong with that though, Lifeguard Nights have found that sound and are damn well gonna stick to it. Lead singer and songwriter Vincent Brue is obviously a clever and talented songwriter on the evidence of this and the previous album, and crucially never seems to take himself too seriously. The Springsteen influence is as strong as ever, with the lazy, drawled and grouchy vocals.
The irresistible catchy pop-ness is also back, on tracks like ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Whore’, and Brue still manages to cross the impossibly up-beat on tracks like ‘Ruiner’ with the pain and heartbreak of ‘Unrequited Love’. Lifeguard Nights have also expanded their ranks, apparently now operating as an 8-piece and incorporating odd percussion instruments and others as diverse as the jaw harp and melodica. ‘Punch Sky’ therefore sees the band try out new things, such as the Irish folk-influenced ‘Oh No’.
What’s gone, however, is the self-deprecating wit and angry politics of previous work. Indeed, Brue appears almost to be playing it straight with ‘Punch Sky’. Unfortunately, that’s one of the things I liked most about them before; that you never knew what he was going to say next.
‘Punch Sky’ is a good effort, but lacks the dark sarcasm I expected and, for all the extra instruments used, the overall sound is at times thin and not as big-sounding as Brue’s hero Springsteen managed.