Album Review: Brad Marino - "Looking For Trouble"

 

Brad Marino is former lead singer of New Hampshire pop-punks the Connection but I have to be honest and say that unfortunately I'm unaware of them so this is my first experience of listening to the guy's music. He's currently signed to Rum Bar Records and recently did a covers album of the old Ramones classic Subterranean Jungle so the omens are good.

However, this isn't the be-all and end-all of the story - opening duo Even The Score and Tail Lights Fade sound like some sort of halfway house between the spite of Elvis Costello and the streetwise smarts of Johnny Thunders and Stiv Bators. A strong start and it makes me wonder why nobody's had this idea before to be honest!

Looking For Trouble adds a bit of slide guitar into the mix and definitely veers over toward the power pop territory of the likes of Ryan Hamilton which is no bad thing at all. Local Show which takes a humourous look at the thankless life of touring on the toilet circuit harks back to the late '70s and bands like the Records and the Romantics and the jangling Something For Nothing brings back to mind the souped up pub rock of Eddie & The Hot Rods at their poppiest with the unexpected acoustic Spanish guitar led middle eight being a nice unexpected touch. Unfortunately the Shadows style instrumental Tripwire is a bit of a mis-step - it's not bad but it kind of breaks up the momentum which had been building nicely prior to this.

False Alarm and the jangly Take Your Time aren't quite up to the standard of side one but they at least do the job of getting the wagon rolling again before the Jags-esque Fell In Love Again picks things up properly with the vocal harmonising and handclaps taking this one into pure pop territory but still packing enough of a kick to stand up on its own. The enjoyably punchy smalltown spite of What Do You Know?, the Ramones-esque To Bleed and the freewheeling ode to insomnia At Night then bring this one to close quite nicely.

A couple of minor wobbles aside, I was genuinely impressed with Looking For Trouble - yes, it's very much a heart-on-its-sleeve power pop album but the key is that Brad Marino is obviously a guy with a good knack for a catchy tune and a good guitar hook and it's this which, as with all good albums of this genre, makes this album well worth investigating for all those with a sweet tooth for this kind of music.

Bandcamp Link (Brad's site)

Bandcamp Link (Rum Bar Records site)

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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