DS Album Review: The Riptides – “Burn After Listening”
It very well may be the end of the world, but don’t fret – The Riptides are here! Not to save the day, but to provide you with a soundtrack while watching it burn. The Ottawa punk veterans’ new album Burn After Listening sticks to their signature blend of old school pop-punk mixed with hardcore interludes, but throws in a few enjoyable curveballs along the way.
“End of the World” is the biggest of those curveballs, and is also one of the Riptides most ambitious songs to date, from both a thematic and production standpoint. I was already really excited to be getting a new Riptides record after all these years since the release of Canadian Graffiti, and this song – the lead single – turned that excitement up a notch when its music video dropped. “Smile” plays on the same lyrical themes as “End of the World” but with a much more outright pessimistic approach and much less pop sensibility. Welcome to the countdown to the end!
There are of course a ton of other standout tracks on Burn After Listening. ‘We Came to Destroy” is an excellent choice for the opening track and is very Lillingtons-ish; speaking of that, Kody Templeman (from the Lillingtons! And Teenage Bottlerocket! And SACK!) plays guitar on this record and you can tell just by hearing the lead guitar parts. Also by the way, TBR drummer Darren Chewka is manning the throne – very cool!
If I had to pick a favorite track on here I’d probably go with “My Heart’s Tattooed on My Sleeve”. This is a true masterclass in what the Riptides do best: no bullshit sugary pop-punk with an earworm chorus. A close second would be “Anti-Social”, an instantly relatable anthem for the introvert. Please shut up and get the fuck away from me!
The back end of Burn After Listening rolls through a handful of bouncy pop-punk tunes in “Lie to Me”, “Get Over You” (super fun song with Lone Wolf‘s Merel Schaap making a guest appearance), and “The One Thing”. This three course meal of aural comfort food is followed by a minute-30 hardcore track “Bottom Feeder” which has an entertaining backstory (in the vein of Riptides classics like “Wimpy Goes to Washington”, “Eyes Wide Shut” and “I Wanna Riot”). The album signs off with “Fade to Black” delivering a final shot of Ramonescore excellence and showing off the Riptides’ unique ability to make the most doom and gloom “summer anthem” imaginable; in a good way, of course!
Burn After Listening is a worthy entry in the Riptides’ growing catalog alongside Canadian Graffiti, Tales From Planet Earth, Hang Out, and Drop Out – and of course the Buy It You Scum 7″! This record implements some more ambitious production ideas than its predecessors (I almost forgot to mention this was recorded at the Blasting Room!) without straying from the rock solid path the Riptides have paved for themselves in their nearly 30 year(!!!) career.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime diehard Riptides fan or a new listener who happens to like bands such as… Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket, or perhaps the almighty Dwarves! There’s something everyone can – and most certainly will! – enjoy on this record.
BURN AFTER LISTENING! OUT NOW ON PIRATES PRESS! BUY THE RECORD!