Billy Joel? Shania Twain? The ‘Rednex’ with Cotton Eye Joe? Avail? Spotted the odd one out? The American south boasts a large collection of musicians, but not many really table the anger or melodic edge of Avail. The South’s most prized punk band has returned to the scene with a twelve song full length and have done it with some style. After forming in the late eighties, they signed to Fat Wreck in 2000 after extensive touring around the world, taking in such sites as Brazil and gosh darn it Japan as well. Their fierce blend of chugging guitars, melodic side notes and catchy chorus’s make Avail easily integrated into most fans collections, and with this album are set to bring in a few new fans as well. Avail have certainly influenced quite a few bands in their time, and on the album they show they are not afraid to try the slower songs or even some of the poppier variety.
‘Black and Red’ gets the album underway, with it slowly imposing itself upon you. It is extremely catchy and a bright start to the album. ‘Blue Times Two’ is a personal favorite and arguably the highlight of the album. Kicking in with singer Tim Barry screeching ‘God I feel like hell’ the song changes pace a fair few times with those chugging guitars helping the song along, and almost from nowhere the assault on your ears begins again. ‘West Wye’ starts off with a lovely guitar intro, where you feel the southern roots shine through, before unleashing a hardcore masterpiece, which is sure to be a live favorite. ‘You’ is in a similar vein to its predecessor starting off slowly before bursting to life. You do get the impression that the angst in Barry’s voice is genuine as well. ‘Gravel to Dirt’ is another favourite as well with a slow pace about the blunders of being drunk. Good melancholy song which shows Avail don’t just have to play crashing music to get their point across.
The pace picks up again for ‘Done Reckoning’ with a swirling intro and maintains the same pace through out and is one of the weaker tracks of the album, with it struggling to catch your imagination. ‘East on Main’ livens the proceedings up, proving perfect fodder for the following track ‘Versus’, which bursts out of nowhere after the previously disappointing middle part of the album and shows Avail at their polished best. ‘Subdued and Arrested’ obeys to the first part of its title and stays calm throughout with ‘Monuments’ showing good changes of direction and pace before a burst into the final two tracks ‘ The Falls’ and ‘Now’. With the former proving an uplifting anthem to the final track, which rounds off the album nicely.
It is a welcoming return to form for the Southerners after their Fat full length ‘One Wrench’ disappointed some of their many fans. Now that they are all happy again they can concentrate adding to them. ‘Front Porch Stories’ is technically superb with the four piece (five including cheerleader Beau-Beau!) blending a broad range of musical stylings into twelve songs. If you have no previous Avail releases, buy it. If you do… then buy it. Punk rock pureness.
Jay