Album Review - Descendants - 9th and Walnut
REVIEW BY BEN LAMB
Legendary Punk troupe have just dropped their latest album, 9th and Walnut, an energetic release, showing us how they are still masters of their craft. It opens with a bang through ‘Sailor’s Choice,’ beginning with an energetic guitar riff, the rest of the band come in with an infectious energy, that truly pulls the listener in.
This infectious energy continuing through ‘Crepe Suzette’ and ‘You Make Me Sick,’ the latter being a short, sharp romp that has an awesome singalong chorus that’ll transport you to a moshpit. ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Nightage,’ ‘Baby Doncha Know,’ ‘Tired of Being Tired’ and ‘I’m Shaky’ following on from those tracks, with “Nightage’ being the longest track on the album, and it therefore having a different structure then many of the other tracks, it feeling more like a alternative rock track, which they excel at as well.
‘I’m Shaky’ is full of old school vibes, the harmonies sounding like those that were popular in the 60’s, this contrasted with the punk instrumentation makes for a great track indeed. These tracks leading into the remainder of the album, the second half beginning with ‘Grudge,’ ‘Mohicans,’ ‘Like The Way I Know,’ ‘It’s A Hectic World,’ and ‘To Remember,’ each bringing their own brand of punk to the album, no two songs are alike, yet they work so well together, once again enforcing why the band have stayed so fresh and great over their many years in the industry.
The album closing out with tracks ‘You’re Disgusting,’ ‘It’s My Hair,’ ‘I Need Some,’ ‘Ride The Wild,’ and ‘Glad All Over,’ with the latter being the perfect way to finish 9th and Walnut,’ returning to this 60’s vibe they ventured to earlier in the album, but also brining in elements from other genres and styles. Descendants ability to be influenced by a number of different genres being the social sauce that helps 9th and Walnut stand as one of their best releases.
