Review: The Reveling – 3D Radio (EP)

March 23rd, 2010 by Oswald Hobbes / Comment on this post

Were I scouring the planet for a rough, bruised-up, no-frills punk outfit with strong songwriting skills, punchy dynamics, and the emotional heft of a Jawbreaker kind of thing, Brooklyn is probably not the place I’d begin my quest. But: The Reveling meet all of the aforementioned qualifications while still residing in a hipster zip code. And they count among their members Jay Weinberg -- his dad plays drums for the E Street Band. These guys throw up all kinds of red flags on the surface, but there’s no arguing with the honesty and brutality of the band’s performances. This is genuine, straight-up punk rock without any gimmicks or pretension; it’s refreshing, and also catchy.

Their self-released EP 3D Radio makes all of these traits abundantly clear; it has the raw feeling of a basement recording but the subtle fidelity of technically high-quality work. “Breadline” begins with a prominently rubbery bass line, letting you know right away that these guys aren’t fucking around. Only good bands mess with that kind of bass; it’s dangerous in its potency. The vocals are highly reminiscent of the Gaslight Anthem, with a shouty, less-polished quality that’s pleasing in its unvarnished power. The guitar parts are a little more complicated than what you might expect, with some high-caliber noodling sprucing up the super-traditional song structures. What I really like about this band are the way their melodies trail off into unexpected places, giving the songs a lot of variety within the self-imposed limit of their stylistic scope. Also, all the instruments sound like real instruments getting roughed up in a room with wood paneling.

The rest of the EP follows this basic formula. The set’s third and shortest track, “The Faces We Know,” displays a crazy amount of tension and release for running only two-and-a-half minutes -- I’d mark it as 3D Radio‘s most impressive moment. But it’s totally solid from start-to-finish -- guaranteed to get your entourage punching each other in the face, but also offering some real think-meat in its more contemplative moments. These guys absolutely nail what they’re going for, which is high praise considering their relatively short existence as a band.