You can go home again. New Jersey’s legendary power pop band The Smithereens come back 12 years later with producer Don Dixon to pick up right where they left off. Singer/guitarist Pat DiNizio, guitarist Jim Babjak, drummer Dennis Diken, and bassist Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion are back to recapture those bygone days when vintage hits like “Blood & Roses” ruled the airwaves.
The cover art mimics the band’s 1989 album which in turn is an homage to the film ‘Ocean’s 11.‘ Much like the Rat Pack, these guys are pros and crank out the lead single “Sorry” with solid guitars and Pat’s unmistakable vocal. For a while the excitement of hearing classic ‘Reens is enough to keep your enthusiasm going. “One Look At You” is great follow up and those crunchy riffs keep you engaged, however the band slows down with the psychedelic “A World Of Our Own” clocking in at almost 5 minutes (despite the lush harmonies). The next few songs feel like the band is on autopilot, until it picks up with “Bring Back The One I Love” where the melodic chords and lyrics sounds fresh. “Nobody Lives Forever” is another gem with Pat’s dark point of view and and then we get the brilliant bluesy “Goodnight Goodbye.” The song “Turn It Around” also hits the mark, so I’d say this is a successful comeback. Lets hope the band builds on this re-birth and they don’t wait another decade to deliver their sweet power pop goodness.
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all we need is the Kinks to reunite also
Finally!! Sounds great as always…going to buy it right now!
Thank you so much for posting this! I saw them a few years ago now, and they said then that they were working on a new LP. That was the last I heard about this until your post. I'm on my way to a record store now!
First The Cars, then The Rainmakers, and now The Smithereens – and it's only April. What a year this is shaping up to be for music fans!