When a band comes to the end of its life, there are generally two options to follow. Accept defeat, retire and move on or rise from the ashes and create a new band. For James Vee and Daniel Stover’s when their previous projects came to call it a day, they picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and Reuther was spawned.
Infectiously pop-punk, Reuthers debut record ‘Like A Ghost’ is one that warrants being blasted out, the louder the better. From the opening chords of the first track ‘Statement’, you’re immediately hit with a sense of familiarity and joy, with Vee’s ringing chords and Stover’s pounding drums enveloping you.
Standout track ‘So Predictable’ has one of the catchiest choruses on the album, with bassist JD Wright’s vocals adding a layer of affability beneath Vee’s lead. Wright adds a layer of depth to the powerful melodies that punctuate the record, both with his bass and his voice.
Though poppy and energetic, lyrically there’s a very literal sense of meaning from Reuther. They’re not occupied with preaching politics or society. They’re more concerned with expressing the personal things that make them tick. Nothing expresses this more than their second single, ‘Highways’, a song dealing with being at breaking point and having to make all important, life altering decisions. Given this is a second attempt at breaking out, it’s easy to assume ‘Highways’ is a reflection of Vee and Stover deciding to give it one more chance.
Reuther have cited The Loved Ones, The Flatliners and The Swellers as their inspiration and the track the album is named after, ‘Like A Ghost’ is a real indicator of the influence The Loved Ones have been. Incredibly clean and polished, the Detroit natives have created a defined sound that Dave Hause would be proud of.
With more hooks than a fisherman, ‘Like A Ghost’ takes you bounding down the avenues of pop-punk, hitting every major benchmark and surpassing most of them. The harmonies are seamless, the melodies are lively. It’s contagiously good fun.
ANDY JOICE