The Subteens – Vol. 4:Dashed Hopes And Good Intentions LP (Back To The Light Records)

Here is another good one from a batch of recent Back To The Light Records releases. As far as I am informed, Vol. 4: Dashed Hopes And Good Intentions is the third full-length album by The Subteens, a punk rock trio from Memphis, Tennessee. These guys started in 1995 and released Burn Your Cardigan & So That’s What the Kids Are Calling It. They also toured extensively across the States but decided to go on indefinite hiatus until 2004, when they started playing together again. Of course, the band gathered many followers during those years because both records sounded exceptional from beginning to end.

Vol. 4: Dashed Hopes And Good Intentions carries eleven brand new tracks performed in the same vein as their previous recordings but with more experience, knowledge, ideas, and musicianship involved than ever before. If you are stumbling upon this band for the first time, prepare your listening apparatus for a pleasant listening experience. These guys nurture a unique blend of several complementary music genres, but in the end, you will notice that melodic punk rock shines the brightest in the mix. The Subteens invested healthy dosages of power pop, pop-punk indie rock, garage rock, and rock’n’roll, so you will have a lot of fun listening to this material. The most surprising fact about this record is that each composition sounds good, and there are no weak spots included at all. It will probably end up as one of your favorite records in your collection because these tracks are so ear-appealing, catchy, and energetic.

The Subteens are pros in combining all the music genres I mentioned above, but they also know how to write and compose songs that could fit any mood, moment, or occasion. The slightly distorted lead vocals, harmonious singalongs, three to four-chord progressions, themes, melodies, simplistic rock solos, warm-sounding basslines, and energetic beats will immediately catch your attention. Each number has a perfect structure empowered with clever arrangements, enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other qualities that define good punk rock songs. It is nearly mindblowing how The Subteens transit from early eighties indie, punk rock, and power pop to seventies garage rock without losing consistency. Their album is like a time machine, and each era they explore sounds incredible. Head to Back To The Light Records for more information about ordering this excellent record.