Detroit`s Popular Creeps are a pop punk quartet who named themselves after a solo single by former Replacements drummer Chris Mars. They comprise of Lenny Grassa (guitar, vocals), Andrew Colvin (guitar, vocals), Joe Heaphy (bass) and Dave Nantais (drums). Their second album `All Of This Will End In Tears` is released this month.
The album opens with `Black & Blue` which has a chugging guitar riff and a rolling drum beat along with a kind of swagger that gives the number a feeling of moving along at pace. A kind of driving song and a nice marker to lay down as an introduction. There`s all sorts of influences in `Window` which had touches of The Byrds, The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty but really cultivates it`s own path. A delightfully guitar infused offering.
`Gone By 45` races along and is a track that pays tribute to Lenny Grassa’s friend (and Leonards bassist), the late Tom Payne. A straight up rock out and not over sentimentalised which to me is a more heartfelt eulogy. We enjoy some quite intricate jangly guitar riffs throughout `From The Past` as it gallops along with a guiding drumbeat and some sympathetic vocal harmonies towards the end.
`Keep It To Myself` to me had a bit of a Sones bluster about it at the beginning with lyrics that seemed to be quite introspective. I loved the rolling drumbeat and the almost competing guitar solos shared on route. We take a bit of a breather as the pace eases up with the fairly stripped back and thoughtful `Wait Forever` with a tapped drum rim, a strummed banjo, and some hushed vocals and what may have been an accordion..
We return to a more rockier sound on `Wait & See` which has some quite captivating guitar chord riffs and vocal harmonies as the number progresses. There`s a delightful guitar intro to `Split Decision` which to me had an enchanting retro feel and put me in mind of all those American college bands I used to enjoy many moons ago.
`Flamethrower` was a little different and had a kind of grunge like texture as the track seemed to sway as it developed. There`s a more punk like ambiance to `Tear Me Apart` which retained a sense of harmony through it`s mildly belligerent lifetime.
The album closes out with `Favorite Picture `a gentle meditative and wistful submission that`s fairly stripped back bur enjoys some complicated guitar chord riffs as it evolves.
There`s an awful lot to enjoy on `All Of This Will End In Tears` and although the band`s influences such as The Replacements, The Byrds, R.E.M., Hüsker Dü and The Rolling Stones shine through at times they certainly blended them together to create a style all of their own. It`s obvious as you listen that these guys are seasoned musicians.
As the title states `All Of This Will End In Tears` but to me it`ll undoubtedly be tears of joy.
Rating 8.5/10