You see, I love a supergroup. I love the idea of musicians getting together in a room, going into a studio and playing music because they want to. Because the urge is there. Because they still love it. Record company demands, deadlines and tours can wait.
Fake Names feel like exactly that sort of band.
They’re on their third album now, and the pedigree remains ridiculous. Guitarists Brian Baker and Michael Hampton have a collective history that takes in Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, S.O.A., Embrace and The Faith. Then there’s Dennis Lyxzén, the singer from Refused and INVSN, bassist Johnny Temple of Girls Against Boys and Soulside, and new drummer Mario Rubalcaba, whose CV includes Rocket From The Crypt and Off!
You could spend the whole review talking about where they’ve been. The pleasure of Punk Ruins, though, comes from hearing how much they’re enjoying being here.
“Until Normal” is perfect evidence. The choruses melt their way in, and it’s practically the definition of the three-minute single. Immediate, economical and full of things you want to hear again. “Good Old Days” is more heartland than you might have expected if you’d never heard them before. “I think you know what you’re missing,” sings Lyxzén. On this evidence, he’s got a point.
The title track has all that punk in it, and you do wonder whether they got the redemption they were after. “Cover The Distance” follows with a strut, before a closing solo that is absolutely perfect. There’s a freedom to it all, the sense of musicians following a song wherever it needs to go.
“What I Tell Myself” has so much melody amongst the maelstrom, and, speaking of melody, “Diamond Buzz” shows how revealing these mid-paced ones can be. Fake Names have always understood the value of craft. They give a tune room to work, and the rewards are everywhere here.
“Language Lost” is faster, still mellifluous, and the harmonies are tremendous. It’s another example of the way they merge D.C. post-hardcore with power pop, carrying all that experience into songs that seem wonderfully natural.
There needs to be a shout-out for the guitar work on “Beautiful Scars”, too. And maybe it’s those beautiful scars that make us all who we are. Likewise, the bass on “If You Could See Me Today” deserves your attention, while the song leaves you thinking about change. Can we? Will we? Should we?
“Little Wonders” belongs to a record where just about any of these songs could be a gold disc in another world. That’s how strong the melodies are, and how easily the choruses find a home. “Scream” remembers the punk roots once more, before “Paradise” closes things with perfect power pop.
It’s working class to the core, too. “They want us to believe it’s paradise,” they sing, and we know the grim reality. The sweetness of the music gives those words an extra sting.
As Fake Names have put it themselves, this draws on the music they grew up listening to, rather than simply the music they ended up playing. You can hear that affection throughout Punk Ruins. It sounds organic, like a moment captured by five people who still find joy in making a song together.
And that’s why Fake Names are so perfect for this. There’s nothing fake here. It’s entirely real.
Rating: 8.5/10
