Tsunami Bomb could literally be the next big thing to come out of the Californian punk scene. Not only are their punk-lite pop tunes as catchy as the most contageous of diseases, they have all the hallmarks needed to leave an impression on the MTV generation too. Lead singer Agent M is eye-candy for the guys, while the rest of the band aren’t too lousy themselves. But of course you need to be more than aesthetically pleasing if you are going to make an impact on the world – unless you’re Good Charlotte of course.
The four-piece formed in late 1999 and originally came up with a self-financed EP which sold 8,000 copies and grabbed the attention of Kung Fu Records head honcho Joe Escalante. From there M and the boys were signed up and the rest is history. Touring their asses off to get an even bigger local fanbase, the Bomb went into the studio with Steve Kravac and came out with this, ‘The Ultimate Escape’, their debut full-lengther. And it’s very, very impressive.
As Mo Powell does for Save Ferris, Agent M does for Tsunami Bomb. Both not only have very strong voices, but they give their respective bands a strong sense of identity. And the fact that both of them are blessed with the beauty gene doesn’t do them any harm either. But as we all know, a band needs the songs to back all of this up and for the most part ‘The Ultimate Escape’ pulls this off. Opener ‘Take The Reins’ comes across well, like Save Ferris crossed with early MxPx, and the stomping ‘Russian Roulette’ is fantastic. Both combine dirty guitar riffs with a sweet, melodic vocal. And of course there are two huge choruses to boot.
The sassy ‘Say It If You Mean It’ is a hit-in-waiting, as is the classy ‘Roundabout’ which highlights Agent M’s stunning vocal range. ‘Top 40 Hit’ has a darker riff, mixed with a more angsty vocal, while ’20 Going On…’ retains the melodies and harmonies that make this record so good. The guitars drive through the song and the vocals compliment this perfectly. ‘The Simple Truth’ is different again, with a strange falsetto type vocal turning into a more standard chorus, before the stomping opening riff of ‘Headlights On A Hand Grenade’ shakes things up.
‘Count Me Out’ is a 100 mile an hour punk blast from the past, hinting at some of their other So-Cal peers in Nofx and this is carried on during the rampant ‘El Diablo’, when M belts out the song in her trademark style. ‘In This Together’ is one of the poppier moments and is sure to go down well with fans of other Kung Fu bands, and the closing ‘Swimming Through Molasses’ is another cracker, the guitar work of Mike Griffen really being highlighted. However, to be critical, at times the songs just lack that killer hook – and if Tsunami Bomb nail that then they really will go far.
Tsunami Bomb are almost certain to make waves in the punk scene, and if it isn’t with ‘The Ultimate Escape’ it definitely will be with their next release. And with Agent M already a star, who knows how far this So-Cal crew can go? Catch them on tour with Audio Karate and The Vandals this winter – before they get on headlining tours themselves.
Paul