The Loved Ones - Distractions

Artist: The Loved Ones

Album: Distractions

Label: Fat Wreck Chords

One look at Philadelphia's The Loved Ones' busy release schedule and you just know The Loved Ones have heart.  Not content at simply releasing one critically acclaimed album in 2008, they also collaborated with Chuck Ragan (Former frontman of Hot Water Music) for a small but stellar Split EP.  Now it's early 2009 and those energetic young lads are at it again, releasing a new six song EP.

The EP, titled Distractions, consists of three brand new songs (well two really), as well as three covers surveying The Loved Ones' biggest influences.  The album starts with "Distracted," easily the most distinctly Loved Ones song on the album.   Their Mid-tempo guitars, Dave Hause's throaty pop-punk vocals, and melodic punk-rock framework feel better than ever.  While I had always felt that the band sounded a little uneasy about their core mechanics in their 2006 debut, over the past year they've come to sound more comfortable in their own skin.  Chorus to verse transitions are tight, bridges are well thought out, and Hause's vocals finally match the whole ensemble.  

However, the next couple tracks really showcase why The Loved Ones are on many critics radar.  In 2008's Build & Burn the band enriched their sound with a variety of piano strokes and Springsteen influences.  "Last Call" continues that evolution.  "Last Call" eloquently starts with a slow, crisp piano solo before transforming into an instantly memorable, melodic, rock influenced punk tune.  The Loved Ones have always had a rough edges beneath their pop tendencies, but "Last Call's" chorus balances that energy in a way that keeps their signature sound, but makes for one of their most accessible songs to date.  "Spy Diddley," a B-side that die hard fans have probably heard off of Fat's website in the past follows next.  The strongest Loved Ones songs always have great choruses, and "Spy Diddley" is no different.  For a previously unreleased song, it fits the album just fine, and even provides a nice counter tempo to "Last Call" slower beats.

For the final three songs The Loved Ones treat us to a brief glimpse of their influences.  The first cover, "Johnny 99" is a classic Bruce Springsteen acoustic track.  The Loved Ones, however, replace the acoustic guitar with a lone electric one.  While this strategy worked back in  2008 for their cover of folk star Chuck Ragan, in 2009 the result comes across rather unremarkable.  Thankfully, the second cover, Billy Bragg's "Lovers Town Revisited," redeems the band's old-meets-punk cover strategy.  Even though they play the song at a blistering pace, their delivery maintains Bragg's raw, rebellious essence.  But the final cover, Joe Strummer's final masterpiece "Coma Girl," really steals the show.  The Loved One's version is a case where a band sticks dangerously close to the source material - inevitably losing points for originality - but I doubt anyone will ever fault them on the decision.  Any opportunity to hear a respectful version of "Coma Girl" is cause enough for celebration.  It's fun, lively, and would make old Strummer smile knowing that today's punk frontrunners know how to capture his spirit.

All in all, Distractions has a little bit of everything.  Songs like "Distracted" should appease fans of The Loved Ones simpler, signature pop-punk sound, while "Last Call" shows a band who loves layering and evolving their sound.  The covers are a special treat, and leave listeners like myself curious about where The Loved Ones will draw the most inspiration from in future releases.