Gameday Regulars
…But It’s Hell In The Hallway
Mightier Than Sword (2011)
RIYL: Hot Water Music, Gaslight Anthem, Nothington
Score: 8/10
Mightier Than Sword has been building up a solid discography, putting out great pop punk and melodic hardcore records by bands like Such Gold, Last Call, and So Many Ways. Their winning streak continues with …But It’s Hell in the Hallway, the debut EP from Bronx, New York’s Gameday Regulars. But where Gameday Regulars differ from their label mates is in their prominently displayed influences, which include bands like Nothington, Gaslight Anthem, and especially Hot Water Music. This sound is likely to endear the band to an older, bar-show crowd, a setting that is more than appropriate for these 6 tracks.
The first thing I, and likely most, listeners notice when putting this album on is the immediate similarity to Hot Water Music, particularly the Gainesville band’s later work on Epitaph. “Pale Reflections” and “The Whiskey Keeps Us Young,” the album’s respective opener and closer, have the strongest Hot Water Music influence, both in the musical style, which is technical and raw but grounded in melody and pop sensibilities, and in the voice of singer/guitarist Will Romeo, who occupies that same low-and-gruff style that is a trademark of Chuck Ragan. The rhythm section, made up of Romeo’s brother Gino on bass and friend Kenny Fletcher on drums, is tight and impressive, but it’s the guitar that really shines on these songs, with Will Romeo at times approaching the technicality of Strung Out and A Wilhelm Scream, though slightly less showy.
Aside from their obvious love for Hot Water Music, Gameday Regulars draw inspiration from other similar bands while always striving to put their own spin on their chosen sound. “Devil’s Coffee,” for instance, has a nice rock-and-roll vibe that is reminiscent of early Nothington, the rhythm section giving their all to get you up and dancing. “Heavy Bikes” has a great opening riff that wouldn’t be out of place on a Replacements record, a fun, brisk pace, and a vocal melody that is so catchy that you can’t help but shout along with each chorus, Romeo displaying just the right amount of rasp with each word. My favorite track, “Hearts and Bones,” is beautifully melancholy with its mid tempo and lyrics like “When the curtains fall, you will let it fall, saving your last word, holding your last breath, hearts and bones don’t mean anything to me.” There’s a touch of new wave and maybe a little The ’59 Sound in the intro and outro, and I would love to see this band explore that side of their songwriting on future releases.
Being that I’m a huge fan of this style of punk rock, and that these guys do it so well, I was bound to love this record from the first note. That being said, sometimes Gameday Regulars dip a little too closely to their influences and I fear that they may suffer by comparison. I’d love to see the band step out of their musical comfort zone a little bit so the comparisons aren’t so immediate. These guys are immensely talented songwriters and musicians and after this first taste, I can’t wait to see what they’re going to come out with in the next release.
…But It’s Hell in the Hallway is available now on Mightier Than Sword.
-Emily Matview
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