Just when I start to feel my age and start looking to see if the Vans I'm buying have the "Comfy Cush" soles. It's right around this time when I'm starting to settle into middle age and start thinking to myself, maybe I should learn to barbeque something? I also start to get an urge in the back of my mind to dive a little bit deeper into World War II. Then a record like this comes out and sets me back 25 years! To say things like The Riffs are back to top form, haven't missed a step or, haven't lost their way, would be total trash. When I first heard about this record coming out, there was no doubt in by mind that it'd be as solid as a brick through a window. This band never did take a wrong turn or stumble one bit during their initial run from 1999 to roughly 2003 or so. The Riffs are one of the best American Punk bands of all time and to even suggest otherwise would be blasphemous speech. This isn't the kind of band that'd release some throwaway songs for nostalgic purposes or ego boosts. If they didn't have something to say, something they believed in, they'd shut the fuck up. But here we are, I have a killer new Riffs 7" in my sweaty hand, and the keys have turned in the ignition. The Riffs have come back to the land of the living and spat out three more tasty morsels of street punk, rock n roll delectables for us to feast upon.
One of the things that really stands out to me on this three song EP is the production. It's fuller, more impactful and showcases what makes this band so extraordinary. The first song and title track "You Doin' Alright" has a Bovver/Glam Rock stomp to it that's both hard driving and incredibly catchy. The B-Side starts off with another new original called "Burnside Beat" that's yet another winner with the trademark Riffs sound of fist pounding Street Punk beats delivered with Johnny Thunders/ Heartbreakers guitars. And is that a little taste of some keyboards I hear in there? The third track is a cover of The Professionals (or by The Looters if you're a fan of the cinema) classic "Join The Professionals". This is a perfect song for these guys to cover and The Riffs manage to make the tune heavier and tighter.
Knowing that The Riffs are back and doing what they do best is honestly a breath of fresh air in a lot of ways. Yeah, there's a lot of great punk bands putting out phenomenal records even as I write this. But so many bands now days play so fucking hard and fast or have these crazy growling vocals that to me are more death metal than punk. Do I like this kind of stuff, well yeah I do but it's also nice to hear a band that takes it down a notch and tips the hat to their roots. The Riffs deliver punk rock n roll with a middle finger blazing and timeless style. Drum beats that feel like a punch to the gut, vocals with some actual bonafide charisma and guitars and bass that make you sit up and tighten your fists. This is the punk rock that first netted me in and brought me into the fold. The three songs here are fierce, formidable and a total singalong riot, three minutes of audio adrenaline. I wouldn't have expected anything less.
