by Andrew Garrison
The cats of The Forty Nineteens have been around the music scene for a while. Working with and opening for some acts like the Gin Blossoms, US Bombs, and The Fixx, to name of few, they seem to have quite the pedigree. Match that up with an album worked on by David Newton of The Mighty Lemon Drops and Paul DuGre who has also worked with Peter Gabriel and Los Lobos and you got yourself Spin It, a well-made album and an all-around good time. Spin It brings a ton of energy through a variety of different ways: cool melodies, fast guitars, twangy vocals, poignant lyrics and clashing percussions.
Leading off with “Falling Down” we got some fun lyrics and some of those high speed, high energy guitars and some catchy “Na Na Na”s that are mimicked by some pretty cool sounding, high pitched production notes. “Modern Romance” is upbeat as well and does a cool job of mixing in high and low pitches with their guitars. Adding in some neat harmonization, and tempo driving cymbals and you’ll have a hard time not tapping your foot along to the song. “Can’t Let You Go” is much softer and has a lazy, beachy vibe to it that’s highlighted by the percussions paired with some gentle strumming. “Have a Good Time” is my favorite song on this album. Again we have a breezy, summer type of vibe going on. And, just like the song alludes to, it is a downright good time; the kind of song that just makes you want to smile and sway along. Honestly, it sounds like it should be in a beer commercial. And that is the highest praise I can give. The best part about “Pink ’55 Bel Air” is the display of musicianship we get towards the end of the track in the form of a jam sesh, combining every instrument in their arsenal to make a good ole fashioned rock & roll kind of mess. “Only Time Will Tell” struts its way on with just a very cool air about it. The song is also about how a girl will get less attractive with age, which, I assert we need more songs addressing. “Broken” has that familiar, high-energy, caution-into-the-wind type of sound to it that really is all over this album. “Dead Flowers” slows things down again with vocals that have their fair share of twang. With lyrics coming off as very tongue and cheek, “Dead Flowers” has a very Americana type of vibe that is a nice change of pace.
The songs on Spin It are short and sweet. High energy and raw in a very garage band type of way, and rough in all of the right places you can for sure pick up on the ‘80s influence. Straddling the line somewhere between Pop-Punk, Americana, and just plain Rock & Roll, Spin It mixes it up just enough to create a funky, yet classic sounding album. For me, this album has summer written all over it, and should be played when cruising around town with the windows down with a smile and sunglasses on.
Rating: 7.6/10
