Album Review: The Loved Ones - 'Build & Burn'

Having spent time with the Dan Yemin fronted Paint It Black, Dave Hause to decided

to strike out on his own sometime in 2003 and start The Loved Ones.

After rounding out his line up (with members of Kid Dynamite

and Trial By Fire no less) the band was able to release an EP

through the illustrious Jade Tree label before landing themselves

on punk rock stalwarts Fat Wreck Chords. 

Towards the end of 2006 The

Loved Ones experienced a line up change, one that saw the inclusion

of Chris Gonzalez and David Walsh, both of whom were members

of the promising outfit The Explosion (who sadly broke up before

reaching their full potential). With such an experienced line up in

place it’s no wonder that Build & Burn is one of the best

records of 2008! 

“Pretty Good Year” gets the

listeners attention almost immediately. Stylistically TheLoved Ones aren’t exactly re-inventing the wheel however the caliber

of their songwriting and Dave’s penchant for penning a chorus

makes them instantly memorable. Settling in to more of a mid paced groove

is “The Inquirer”, proving that The Loved Ones don’t need

to rely on pace to pack a punch as yet another vocal line embeds itself

into your memory. 

Now I can’t imagine that “The

Bridge” was written with a potential crowd reaction in mind however

the chorus is practically begging for a room full of people to scream

it back at the band, the almost bouncy tempo providing a nice contrast

to the straight forward approach of “Sarah’s Game”.  

To say that “Brittle Heart”

is the token ballad on this record is not doing the song justice. I

mean, when was the last time you heard a song and straight away imagined

yourself in a small, crowded venue singing along with one hundred other

die hards to your favourite band?! Although it starts a little slowly The Loved Ones come through with the goods when it comes to chorus

time in “Selfish Masquerade”, while “Third Shift” should definitely

be used as the backing track the next time HBO releases a film filled

with bar fights. 

In a day and age where punk can

sound incredibly soul-less, The Loved Ones have shown that there’s

at least one band who still believe in what they’re preaching.

1. Pretty Good Year
2. The Inquirer
3. The Bridge
4. Sarah’s Game
5. Brittle Heart
6. Selfish Masquerade
7. 3^rd Shift
8. Louisiana
9. Dear Laura