Album Reviews

- by Nate Hennon

Featuring members of Bay Area's American Steel, The Sunset Shipwrecks shed their punk rock roots for a bluesy bar band feel on their debut album, "Community." This change in musicality creates two very different vibes. Half of the tracks on this album are songs more appropriate for the beginning of a night full of bar hopping and heavy drinking. The other half of the tracks are reserved for regretting the amount of booze, cigarettes and possibly other substances you consumed at the end of that same night. Whichever state you find yourself in, The Sunset Shipwrecks have a soulful vibe usually not associated with a band from the Bay Area.  These punk rockers can give those Southern boys a run for their money.

If you find yourself looking to party, I recommend putting the titular track, "Community", and "Get Busy" on a constant loop. These songs have strong driving basslines, bouncy drum patterns and melodic guitars that conjure images of a sweaty outdoor festival audience spilling their cheap beers as they dance and sing-along. On the other  hand, The Sunset Shipwrecks deliver a set of bluesy tunes for those
seeking a heavier feel. The opening song, "Leave me in the Grove", and "All The Road" are reminiscent of the hard-hitting drums and slowed-down guitars of Against Me, but The Sunset Shipwreck do not go as dark (which is a good thing).