The arrival of any Pennywise album is always something that their die-hard fans await with baited breath, and their latest offering ‘Yesterdays’ is probably their most anticipated release in years. All the hyperbole is for two reasons. ‘Yesterdays’ marks the return of original frontman Jim Lindberg after his departure from the band in 2009, and most of the songs featured on here were written in the late 80s – when original bass player Jason Thirsk was in band, before his untimely passing in 1996.
Unless you have been living under a rock in the punk scene for the last 25 years, you will know exactly what to expect from this record. The band have honed their craft of two-to-three minute punk-rock anthems to perfection, never really straying from that path, and given the period of time that the songs on ‘Yesterdays’ were written it is proof that they found a formula that works for them a quarter of a century ago and ran with it.
Pennywise have made no secret of their love of scene veterans Bad Religion, and that influence is worn on their sleeves like the rightful badge of honour it should be. The political lyrical content that has always been at the heart of Pennywise’s message was clearly present early on in their career on the storming ‘What You Deserve’, ‘Noise Pollution’, and ‘Violence Never Ending’. The surprise for some people may come in ‘She’s A Winner’, which was penned by Thirsk about his then-girlfriend, and skanks along with a reggae feel that wouldn’t have been out of place on a Sublime album, until of course it opens up in the punk-rock style that Pennywise do so well. Rarely do the band add love songs into their records, yet when they do it fits perfectly amongst the social commentary you know and love from them. The album closer ‘I Can Remember’ proves a fitting tribute to their fallen friend, as Jim Lindberg looks back on the times they shared, and will surely serve as an eye-watering moment to anyone who has lost someone close to them.
The beauty in ‘Yesterdays’ is that although these songs were written many years ago, they have been brought to life by being recorded now, and it steers away from sounding in the least bit dated. They may have suffered from a poor production in the past, but here the drums are crisp, Fletcher Dragge’s trademark lightening fast guitar playing sounds heavier than ever, and perhaps as an ode to Jason Thirsk, the bass cuts through the mix perfectly. All this is complemented by the returning Lindberg, whose melodic-yet-urgent vocal delivery sounds even more accomplished.
It’s safe to say that Pennywise will probably not gain any new fans with this record, and the long and short of it is, that it is another Pennywise album that doesn’t reinvent the wheel. However, why should they? The wheel is clearly fine as it is, with a legion of fans across the globe, who bare their PW logo on their t-shirts, stickers, skateboards, and even skin, Pennywise do not need to gain any new fans. Those who worship at the band’s altar will love this, and it captures the pure essence of everything Pennywise are about while paying homage to their former bass player perfectly. This is the soundtrack to your punk-rock summer.
GLEN BUSHELL