Recently, Engineer Records has treated us with one of the finest melodic punk rock records released this year. “Highbrow Lowbrow” by Raincheck is one of those records that immediately grabs you by the collar with its fast-paced rhythms, catchy guitar works, and anthemic singalongs, and refuses to let go long after this album ends. Inspired by some of the greatest bands in the genre like Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Shook Ones, and A Wilhelm Scream, these French punk rockers mean business, delivering instant modern melodic punk rock hymns to the table. Each composition arrives with impressive vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers that will immediately convince you to repeat this incredible full-length all over again.
“Highbrow Lowbrow” might be a modern melodic punk rock album but it’s packed with more than enough moments for those listeners looking for a throwback to times when this genre was just getting started. Whether delivering profoundly fast melodic hardcore bangers or resonating with all those fundamental elements of pop-punk music, Raincheck always sounds fresh while resonating with a touch of nostalgia. They bring all the finest sonic ingredients borrowed from late nineties melodic punk rock, melodic hardcore, skate punk, and pop-punk together and blend them in such an innovative, fresh, and exciting way. Those listeners who’re knee-deep into these music genres know it’s a difficult task to achieve, considering there are way too many bands trying the same formula all over again, but Raincheck somehow managed to do it. Their music differs from anything you could stumble upon contemporary punk rock scene, so they unquestionably deserve praise.
From the onset, the vocal performance stands out as a centerpiece that elevates everything to new heights, commands attention, and guides the listening apparatus from scratch to finish. Profoundly melodic yet raspy, it brings rawness, abrasiveness, and grittiness over ultimately melodic guitar works. It emphasizes all those segments and instrumentations with such precision and finesse while contributing more emotional depth and complexity to an already intricate song structure. By effortlessly gliding all over low, mid, and high notes, these vocal harmonies decorate everything the remainder of the band intended to achieve with this material. Of course, there are additional back vocals and singalongs, creating anthemic vibes and adding even more emotion to these tracks. It’s nearly mindblowing how each shout, scream, and harmony brings these songs to an entirely new level, making “Highbro Lowbro” such a remarkable listening experience.
“Highbrow Lowbrow” arrives packed with a comprehensive collection of catchy, memorable, engaging riffs, chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, themes, and other sonic delicacies. The guitars reign supreme from beginning to end, delivering rawness, aggression, and power yet sounding harmonious and melodic all the time. This balance makes “Highbrow Lowbrow” such a compelling album that will not only satisfy longstanding melodic punk rock fans but also those picky music enthusiasts looking for cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music. Each segment of every song arrives like a colossal slab of harmonious noise, more than ready to tear down everything in the broader radius yet it carries that mellowness that makes fast melodic punk rock so catchy and memorable. This balance is another quality of Raincheck, a band that undoubtedly takes their music seriously but also leaves an impression that they had a lot of fun while writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing this material. They vividly convey passion and message through their music without sounding bland, pretentious, repeatable, or boring, a quality that not so many bands can brag about nowadays. Their dedication to the craft makes them a standout act on a modern punk rock landscape yet guitar works are just a small piece of the puzzle that contributes to the sonic impact a long way.
Beneath all those guitar layers, the bass guitar rumbles with equally impressive, vividly hearable, warm-sounding low-end tones. These rich, deep, dense, heavy basslines contribute heaviness, clarity, and depth while serving like a glue that binds all the instrumentations with rhythmic patterns. It’s an important piece of the puzzle that makes “Highbrow Lowbrow” even more compelling, groovy, and detailed. Of course, this fine piece of sonic artistry wouldn’t sound this good without exceptional drumming performance based upon expertly assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated, dynamic beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. These rhythmic patterns keep everything in line while dictating groove and pace. Each instrument plays a significant role here, so a pleasant listening experience is more than guaranteed. “Highbrow Lowbrow” is packed with many excellent tracks. Some of the standouts are “Hard Fm,” “Turning Point,” “Rocket Fries,” “Deal’s Gone Bad,” “Raise Your Brows,” “Homegrown,” and “Best Wishes,” but you should pay attention to the entire album. Therefore, if you’re looking for catchy, memorable, fast-paced melodic punk rock music garnered with some of the finest melodic hardcore elements, “Highbrow Lowbrow” is an album that will immediately appeal to your ears. It’s packed with many anthems that will suit even the pickiest punk rockers. Head to Engineer Records for more information about ordering.
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