The Bouncing Souls Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
The Bouncing Souls have never been a band to mince words or music. This live collection starts with the high-octane and rapid-fire "Here We Go." And from that moment on, it is one loud party punk track after another that bands like Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, or any other hardcore punk band worth its salt would aspire to. With a sparse few clocking in at over three minutes, the songs are crisp and extremely punchy, particularly the oomph that comes during "Sing Along Forever" and the hellish, old-school punk feeling on "Say Anything." Unfortunately, some of these come across not quite as strong and just frantic romps, particularly "That Song," which thankfully changes gears after the chorus. The group, led by singer Greg Attonitoi, is intent on delivering rowdy punk fans everything they can handle, but the melody changes during "Cracked" show a band that is still very tight at the same time. And unlike several "live" albums, this particular two-CD set from a Philadelphia show has all the feel of that -- no slick overdubs, just punk rock the way it should be played. The first true highlight is "Kids and Heroes," which causes an instant singalong while "Kids" outdoes its predecessor, upping the ante and taking things to a fantastic, almost feverish pitch. Later on they surpass this effort with "Night on Earth." It's as if the group has done everything that groups like Green Day and Sum 41 have done but never reached similar heights of stardom, especially with songs like "Punx in Vegas," "Private Radio," and their earliest penned song, "Joe Lies." Disc two features a guest appearance by Johnny X on "The Ballad of Johnny X," which sounds like a cross between Rancid and Social Distortion. A few songs are misses, though, including the "emo"-lite-flavored "Anchors Aweigh" and the ska-tinted "Kate Is Great." These are the few exceptions, however, as the infectious punk rock nuggets like "Hopeless Romantic," the hook-riddled "Lamar Vannoy," and the fantastic "Gone" soar from the onset. While at times it's just a touch uneven with "Oi!"-saturated tracks like "Manthem," this album might be even better than seeing them live. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though they hit as hard as ever, the Bouncing Souls broaden their impact on Anchors Aweigh. Some of these tracks hide an almost reflective perspective behind Michael McDermott's vicious, in-the-pocket drumming and the rest of the band's searing riffs: "Simple Man," a marathon at just over four minutes, yearns for a more orderly life, "Night Train" runs with that thought onto the endless highway of possibilities, complete with a Steppenwolf-like motorcycle sample, and "Todd's Song" even flashes a few strings while roaring into and exiting an ear-bleed rumination on suicide. Musically, the guys are tight; McDermott in particular earns his stripes as a punk virtuoso in the artful tempo manipulations of "Apartment 5F" and the rhythmically intricate "Blind Date." Note: The last track, "I'm from There," actually clocks in at about four minutes and 46 seconds, after which there's maybe a minute and a half of crackling noise before an acoustic hidden track crawls out of the shadows, hangs around for a while, and then melts back into more crackling. Go figure. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The fourth volume in BYO's split series includes the fun New Jersey band Bouncing Souls, who write anthemic, singalong-type songs, and the radical leftist band Anti-Flag, performing a few of each other's tunes, some originals, and several covers. Bouncing Souls are best appreciated live. Their albums tend to all sound similar, though this would be a better-than-average collection from them, especially their covers of Cock Sparrer's "We're Coming Back" and Sticks and Stones' "Less Than Free." Bouncing Souls rock out pretty hard on these numbers and are definitely improving as a band. On the other hand, Anti-Flag is a political band with very little to say. Check out the lyrics to "America Got It Right." Is this supposed to be social commentary? How can you preach about politics when you have such serious issues with simplistic English grammar on your lyric sheet? Anti-Flag spews forth a kiddie version of political punk and can probably only be appreciated by the under-18 set. Still, they are learning to play their instruments better and deliver a not-completely awful take on the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love With Someone (You Shouldn't've Fallen in Love With)." Volume three in this split-series, with Rancid and NOFX, is a much more worthwhile effort. ~ Adam Bregman, All Music Guide
'The Bad the Worse and the Out of Print'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 22
Label Chunksaah
See Album Tracklist and Review
'How I Spent My Summer Vacation'
Release Date 5/14/2001
Tracks 13
Label Pias Germa
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Pulling together the pusillanimous power of the Ramones, the anthemic shoutalong choruses of Sham 69, the riff sensibilities of Social Distortion, while not sounding a speck like any of these bands, Bouncing Souls deliver up high-octane melodic punk as its meant to be played. Fast, hard, and with more concern for passion than proficiency, the quartet remains a welcome reminder of punk's true soul. Beyond the politics and societal polemics, punk was about kids picking up instruments and slamming out songs for other kids. Talent was a plus, but not a prerequisite, having a point to make about something, anything, even if it wasn't blindingly brilliant, was. Bouncing Souls know this implicitly, and always have, which is why their focus is on energy and attitude. Sure, the odd bum chord or off-tempo beat may slide in to How I Spent My Summer Vacation, but unlike the slick purveyors of punk-by-numbers for the MTV masses, the quartet doesn't go back for the second or third take, not if the feeling is already in place. So, there are no grand philosophies or political stances here, the band preferring to speak directly to young people's lives. So, if you find the infectious "That Song" trite, with its heartfelt lyrics about music shaping one's life, or "Streetlight Serenade," a tribute to the singer's BMX bike, silly, well it just goes to show your teenaged years are far behind you. The Souls are no longer teenagers, either, but they've retained their exuberance, and their memories are strong enough to perfectly recall the concerns and joys of youth. Especially the job, a feeling that sets every track afire. Friendship, relationships, finding oneself, and growing up are the prevalent themes, and the great insight is the lack of insight. There are no answers to be found, just a reflection of ordinary life's adventures, and if the band has a philosophy, it's to enjoy it to the hilt. And that's precisely how summer vacations should be spent. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Hopeless Romantic is the Bouncing Souls' fourth studio album, and it maintains the group's standard of catchy, party-ready punk-pop. The more serious moments can come off as a bit emotionally underdeveloped, partly because of the band's penchant for dealing with problems using jokey, ironic detachment elsewhere. Still, too much seriousness would sink the record's fun party atmosphere, and ironic detachment is what the Bouncing Souls do best. The songs that will likely leave the greatest impression upon listeners' memories are the more exuberant, uptempo tracks like "Bullying the Jukebox" and "¡Olé!," sing-alongs so blatant that their simplistic catchiness borders on excessive. There's also "Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)," a spoof of male/female duets that may be a little obvious but injects a bit of endearing self-deprecation. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
All but forgotten, the self-titled third full-length from New Jersey's Bouncing Souls never made much of an impact, yet it still has more highlights than it does embarrassing mistakes. A little rougher around the edges than the group's earlier recordings, the record opens with the near disorienting hardcore attack of "Cracked" before settling into some much more familiar territory. The back to back pop-punk bounce of "Say Anything" and "Kate Is Great" are probably the two most impressive tracks on the record, and once they are taken care of, the band lapses into some less than inspiring punk rock. It certainly isn't poor, but in light of the wry upbeat numbers the band has churned out before and after this record, it is just not up to par. "Holiday Cocktail Lounge" and the anthemic "East Coast! Fuck You!" close out the record on a high note, but over the course of the 16 tracks there is little that could be called ambitious and plenty that doesn't even merit a mention. A great pop-punk force, the Souls have proven themselves time and time again, but even the best have a bad day and this LP seems to represent that. Souls fans will still enjoy most of the rockin' tunes that Greg Attonito and company bash out this time around, but newcomers might want to stick with the other recordings for a better sense of what this group is all about. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
'Maniacal Laughter'
Release Date 1/26/1996
Tracks 12
Label Better Youth Organization
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With a lot more energy and "oomph!" to go along with their East Coast angst, the Bouncing Souls return with their second album, Maniacal Laughter. The songs are a lot faster, and the occasional down-on-their-luck attitude still lingers, but at the same time they celebrate the joys of going on tour, friendship, and constantly reminiscing about the old days. With that lyrical content alone in mind, the Souls have the ability to bring everyone together in one room regardless of their differences or musical tastes. And with their soundtrack to go along with these words, dancing and chanting along to even their Johnny Cash cover of "Born to Lose" is inevitable. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
'The Good, The Bad & The Argyle'
Release Date 11/1/1994
Tracks 12
Label Better Youth Organization
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Pretty straightforward pop-punk with a backbone, the Bouncing Souls take slack from no one with their debut The Good, the Bad and the Argyle. Emerging out of the toxic swamps of New Jersey, the Souls take us back to the days of being a mischievous teenager without a care in the world. With songs that deal with the neuroses of daily life and healing a broken heart, a lot of their energy is spent paying tribute to the '80s. With constant references to John Hughes films ("Joe Lies When He Cries" and "These Are the Quotes from Our Favorite '80s Movies") and even a cover of the Strangeloves's "I Want Candy" (which was also covered by Bow Wow Wow) this album provides the perfect background music for any party atmosphere. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
