Stories & Alibis (Anniversary Edition)＜限定盤/Red & Black Marble Vinyl＞

In an assertive full-length debut, Matchbook Romance deals out a strong hand and plays it well. The winning cards include expressive lyrics delivered most of the time by twin lead vocals, songs powered by a combination of sharp hooks and dramatic changes in dynamics, and a multi-layered production in which Brett Gurewitz allows plenty of room for the sound to chime, buzz, and roar over Aaron Stern's thundering drums. (Stern especially loves doing double bass drum fills, which sound the way a Muhammad Ali combination must have once felt.) They build their choruses and other peak moments around massive blasts of guitar anchored by basslines on the root of each chord for maximum impact. At the same time, they don't skimp on the details; guest keyboardist David Palmer's unobtrusive bleeps and gurgles bring some variety to the otherwise monochromatic timbre, especially in quiet interludes or long final chords. With this sort of intensity and bravura, Matchbook Romance sets a high standard for itself and shows every sign of meeting it on future releases. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk

エピタフの社長、ブレット・ガーヴィッツがたった6曲を聴いただけで契約を決めたという、パンク界期待の大型新人がデビュー!　しっかりとしたメロディーを軸にするミドル・テンポの楽曲を中心に構成された今作は、エモ／スクリーモのテイストをまぶしながら、ひたすら切なく、甘酸っぱく、青春街道をひた走る。特にサビのシンガロング・パートに込められたエモーションの量はハンパじゃないぞ!
bounce (C)渡辺 貴仁