Two years ago Route 215 were three cheeky chappies singing about tattooed penises. In 2003 they’re a five piece armed with some of the best UK pop-punk songs I’ve heard in god knows how long. Having their original guitarist leave the band, 215 were in a bit of a predicament. Up stepped the Dow brothers to fill in on this record and, for a short while, in the live department too. But then Rod got involved in a bit of a bar room brawl severing tendons in a hand, forcing him to give up playing bass. So here we are with only Nick as a permanent instrument-playing member of the band. But never has such bad luck turned into something so good.
Rod handed over his bass duties (temporarily) to Matt from Fastlane and the boys recruited two new guitarists to bolster their sound and in the space of a few months have switched from those Cockney Captain Everything clones to one of the UK’s best bands. Sound a little too grand and fairytale like? Well dreams can come true. ‘Steal Your Soul’ is an album that proves this theory – it’s choc full of anthemic tracks and filled with singalong hooks and melodies. It’s fun filled, energetic and everything a great pop-punk record should be. Gone is the sillyness of the earlier material and gone are the ska moments, instead we have straight up pop-punk with choruses as big as Vanessa Feltz after three helpings of Sunday roast.
The upshot is that this record not only blows many of their UK counterparts out of the water, but it hammers the copycat US clones off the map too. You can see some US webzines peddle the next big thing every single day but not one has written an album where every song will have you singing along. ‘Steal Your Soul’ has the ability to do just that. From the opening chords of ‘GTT’ to the song-of-the-year contender of ‘Ghost Rock’ the quality tracks are evident for all to hear. There are too many highlights for me to mention, but four or five songs really stand out and make this record a 4.5 and not a 4.
‘Echo’ is so simple it hurts but no matter how hard you try to stop being brainwashed by the chorus it takes a place in your brain and slowly nibbles away until you submit. It’s safe to say you will be singing along, even the first time you hear it. ‘Ghost Rock’ is simply phenomenal and is one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. A Bonnie and Clyde style duet with Kelly Kemp of NoComply, the vocals trade off as the lyrics tell the story. It’s catchy and brilliant and reason enough for you to buy this record. ‘Steal Your Soul’ is just as good with another massive chorus while ‘Push Me’ is genius. Obvious subject matter I know, but I don’t care – this cd has hardly left my stereo since it arrived. ‘The Weezer Song’ is a massive curveball and something you just wouldn’t expect as Rod has a go at taking on Rivers Cuomo and manages to pull it off – just – to a Weezer-esque musical accompanyment. Then there’s ‘Amy’, granted a little dodgy lyrically but it’s a great song and sure to be a live favourite. The record of the summer? I think so…
If there are any low points it would be that the lyrics are at times a little juvenile, although far improved from the likes of ‘Stuck With You’. Too many times they become nonsensical and I’m sure this will be picked up on in other reviews. But for me the sheer catchyness prevails and wins me over. A couple of tracks are also little more than filler material, ‘Sleepless’ isn’t that bad but doesn’t really fit in between the awesome ‘Amy’ and ‘Ghost Rock’ while ‘Get To Me’ is probably the only song that isn’t an instant hit. Oh, and the stage names…c’mon guys, you don’t need them.
It’s always difficult reviewing a record that mates have put out but ever since I heard the original demos of ‘Ghost Rock’ and ‘GTT’ I fell in love with the new 215. This is simply one of the best UK releases of the year. It’s nothing new, nothing groundbreaking and not complex, but in terms of catchy-as-fuck melodic songs you probably won’t find another album as good as this all year. Give them 12 months and they’ll be tearing up venues all over the shop. Who would have thought a band renowned for singing about a dick could get so good…
www.route215.com
Paul