Yet another band that has crept up under the radar and released an absolutely brilliant album. Working for Punktastic has many benefits, but arguably the best is that I’ve come across so many good bands I’d not heard of before. Fonzie are one such band. They’re a Portuguese foursome that play a brand of really melodic pop-punk in the vein of Millencolin or Useless ID. I say those two bands because Hugo Maia’s vocals have a distinct foreign edge to them. Take that away and these songs could have come from ‘Dude Ranch’-era Blink 182.
The production on ‘Wake Up Call’ is great, almost perfect for a band of this type. It’s slick and smooth, emphasising all the harmonies and vocal melodies. The guitars have that perfect bouncey feel too, making each song a hit in waiting. ‘Sorry (This is what we’ve got)’ is a brilliant start to the album and is immaculately followed up by ‘Gotta Get Away’. Lyrically the guys sing in English and pull it off well, although the subject matter can be a little daft at times – see ‘Elitist Girl’ as proof that the songs can be on the purile side, but at least they are fun. ‘You Want’ is a personal fave as the drums hit really hard, while ‘Glorious Dream’ is the best song Useless ID haven’t penned yet.
‘Wise Guy’ features backing vocals from Nikola Sarcevic of Millencolin, while ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ sounds like MxPx when they were good. Which, for anyone who knows me, will realise it makes me very, very excited indeed. The riffs are pretty simple, but throw in some fast drums and breackneck basslines and you have a talented band that seemingly can do no wrong. That’s Fonzie all over for you; they’re a band that put the emphasis on fun and good times. They’ve neglected to follow any trends or scenes, they just appear to play music that will put a smile on your face.
The only thing I didn’t like about this record was that the promo copy I received didn’t have the back cover art. That’s the only thing I didn’t like. Everything else is really good. If this band were American they would be huge, so go and check them out when they tour in December because you’re guaranteed a fun show. The real Fonz may have been cool, but Fonzie the band aren’t too far behind. Oh happy days…
www.fonzietime.com
Punk Nation Records
Paul