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This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb

Convertible

Written by: PP on 30/08/2008 11:56:13

This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb are proof of why it's good to have an interesting band name. If it wasn't for their peculiar name, chances are I wouldn't ever have stumbled on their new album "Convertible", considering it's so underground that it's existence is almost impossible to confirm just by using google. In retrospect, I'm pretty glad I found them, because bands these days rarely achieve the same kind of honest energy as TBIAPB do on the record.

Part folk, part punk rock, the band draws inspiration equally much from Bomb The Music Industry as from Against Me!'s really old material, topped with a healthy dose of folk rock attitudes. Given that it's an DIY underground punk release, things like hefty bass-lines and shady production are a given, and while they might put some people off, for me they create a magic energy for the album, the one that's all too often only present in the early stages of a band, when they're still learning to get to know each other and are super-excited about playing music together. Usually in later stages of a band's career the aura disappears or is at least replaced by a much more mature vibe - just think Blink 182's early releases in comparison to their later ones. "Convertible" is TBIAPB's fourth album, but yet the vibe and energy is still there. You can hear it in the strained voices of the band members (who all are singing on the record), when they reach notes they shouldn't be able to reach (admittedly, not very well), and in the way the instruments are played so that passion's overflowing from them.

However, the above isn't tantamount to good ratings automatically. While the energy and the intention is all there, too many of the songs demonstrate a distinct lack of songwriting skills, and only a few are worthy of praise. The first and last few songs on the album are pretty awesome because they're fast and punk rock, while the ones in the middle are just a little bit too folksy for my tastes. Regardless, "Convertible" is a decent stab at fusing folk and punk rock in a true DIY fashion, but realistically, it isn't something the regular music fan will drool all over. Enthusiasts only.

Download: Willie Junior, The Preacher And The Slave, Andreena Kitt
For the fans of: Bomb The Music Industry, old Against Me!
Listen: Last.fm

Release date June 2008
Plan-It-X Records