Small Brown Bike - Composite volume one (7'')

Loads of punk this week, mmh? Let me tell you that with this one, it's for the best, my friends. If you're not familiar with Small Brown Bike, they're a four-piece band from Michigan that existed between 1996 and 2004 and produced a mix of punk-rock, emo and post-hardcore. While remaining quite underground, they would sell out thousand capacity venues and get critical praise. As a result, their sound became hugely influential for later bands to come. After they broke up in 2004, they played a few reunion shows in 2007 to benefit a dear friend battling leukemia. Oh yes, I forgot to mention they were great guys too. A few weeks ago, they announced they were getting back together with the original line-up to play dates and above all record new material. Punknews.org messageboards' server exploded, the Fest 8 took a sudden sacred side and orgcore punkers promised to shave and change their squared shirts.

Not really, but it did receive an unsurprisingly great reaction. The first piece of new material is this 7'', 'Composite volume one'. As you can guess, there will be a series of several vinyls. So, how are those two new songs, the first the band wrote in six years? As soon as the needle of their turntable will touch the record, fans will be pleased to hear the energy featured on 'When we run'. The songwriting is vivacious, the dueling guitars are doing their job to perfection, providing both dynamism and emotional melancholy. It sounds more like material from 'Our own wars' than the mellower 'The river bed'. The very melodic 'Hourglass' is another pretty song, well-composed and featuring a superb ending. Brothers Mike and Ben Reed's dual vocals still hit hard as one of the band's major assets. The lyrics are very inspired too.

You never know what to expect from new songs recorded after that many years of hiatus but Small Brown Bike should reassure a lot of fans with 'Composite volume one'. If those two songs are any indication of what's to come (that is to say first another 7'' at spring time), the Michigan act is able to reach everyone's expectations again. The Bike browns again!

4/5

Nb.: You can listen to the 7'' here.

Recommanded if you like:
Hot Water Music, Avail, Braid
Check also:
Able Baker Fox, Bridge And Tunnel, Young Livers

www.myspace.com/smllbrwnbk
(No Idea Records, 2009)