The Jukebox Romantics – Fires Forming 12″ EP (Engineer Records / Sell The Heart Records)

It’s nearly the end of a year, Christmas is around the corner, but the punk rock community doesn’t have any intentions to stop anytime soon. Despite being almost the end of the year, good records are coming out until December 31, so keep that in mind while assembling the top music releases of the year lists. The record I would like to talk about today is unquestionably part of my top 2021 list. Fires Forming is a highly anticipated extended play by The Jukebox Romantics, an energetic New York melodic punk rock trio that bursts with brilliant ideas and outstanding musicianship. It’s one of those punk rock groups worth checking out, and there’s not the slightest doubt in my mind you’ll fall in love with this release as soon as you check it out. This EP recently came out as a collaborative work between Engineer Records (UK) and Sell The Heart Records (USA).

Fires Forming carries five profoundly energetic melodic punk rock compositions. The labels and band heavily promoted this material with a series of singles, such as Hey Nora, Time To Fly, Castaway, and Dine Fleisch. All these singles ended up on an extended play, plus You Spin Me (Right Said Fred). Judging by the sound of Fires Forming, The Jukebox Romantics fully stacked this material with impressive ideas. The band continuously levitates between contemporary punk rock trends. However, it seems like The Jukebox Romantics pay some respect to the late nineties scene by stacking this material with some old-school moves. You’ll notice these guys are inspired by so many bands, genres, styles, and their music bursts with sheer energy from scratch to finish. Perhaps the group mainly explores melodic punk rock, but you’ll also hear some other subgenres like melodic hardcore, skatepunk, pop-punk, and indie. Therefore, Fires Forming contains something for everyone.

Each composition carries its vibe, but they also hold together flawlessly. At some points, you’ll get the feeling like each number is a continuation of the previous one, so Fires Forming is almost like a musical story separated into five parts. The Jukebox Romantics thought about each segment of this material, so every song sounds superb. You’ll be blown away by the number of melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, riffs, cleverly assembled basslines, and energetic rhythmic performances. Also, the trio thought about song structures, arrangements, accentuations, so the entire recording sounds like a pure melodic punk rock masterpiece. Even the lead vocals, background vocals, and singalongs are performed and recorded to perfection. It’s impossible to find any mistake in this material because it sounds so damn good. I highly advise you to check out Fires Forming EP. You won’t be disappointed. Fires forming comes on a 12″ vinyl record, but it is also available for listening/purchasing on all streaming services. You can choose between different vinyl variants, such as gold, violet, and transparent blue. Head over to The Jukebox Romantics Bandcamp page, Engineer Records, or Sell The Heart Records for more information about ordering this melodic punk rock gem.