A record that really packs a punch is the debut album from Rev78, Boy in the Blitz. It basks in leisurely radio friendly territory sitting comfortably in between punk, post punk and pop. Polite though the record is, sitting at just over 30 minutes, thankfully the mundane culture of pop meeting indie is somewhat side lined for its more dangerous edgy prototype in this instance, as Rev78 avoid the path much travelled by such young indie hipsters chasing the Yankee Dollar. Sure there are songs about love, a collection of backing ooos and aaahhs that Rafael Nadal would enjoy, over produced echoes, and an arrangement you could set your watch to, but this was a record mixed by Catherine Marx whos shimmering CV boasts previous records from Editors, Placebo and PJ Havey. The result: a mature collection of thank you sir rock n roll pop entries, too mature to be tainted as a sugar rush record but perhaps too rushed to stand out as an art form alongside some of its contemporaries.
It is clear that Boy in the Blitz is a pop record designed for the masses. What the band do, they do very well, echoed by the former MTV president Brett Hansen believing - its music made for arenas. I wholeheartedly agree. Youd imagine those arenas to be filled people of all ages, culture and class, and youd imagine this record to be selling.
Apparently before the big names got involved here, the band had struggled to finance things. Lead singer Teddy Quick left school with no qualifications, and was united with his band mates through the love of the same music. Now thats organic, and you really feel that in this record. Make no bones about it, this is not a band being caressed by a feeding hand. This is real pop in popular culture. The Boy in the Blitz represents a bands struggle to achieve their dreams, just like the majority of us. So less about dating and breaking up with the girl of your dreams who you have known for 2 weeks, and more on key themes here, honing in on acceptance, soul searching, identity, success yearning and of course the record would not be complete without a couple of love ballads.
Killing Me kicks the album off, but is too predictable for my liking although we see some epic guitar riffs typical of lead guitarist David Gritzman, a prominent strength throughout the record. We also learn that Teddy Quick is not afraid to stretch out his vocal chords. Next comes Old Fashioned with its sing along swinging melody, and a song that seems to strike a personal chord with Teddy Quick in particular as he growls - Here I stand alone again. Its all a sham, lets not pretend.
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Could Have Been a Dancer is possibly the best song on the album and is a fine representation of Rev78, who could be destined for big things if their pens keep grafting this sort of stuff. Whilst being radio friendly, it will also appeal to fans of Brit pop, post punk and rock n roll. It shows off the bands musicianship and strikes a winning blend between pop and edge, a critical formula needed to ensure some longevity.
Us Against Them All demonstrates Dave Gritzmans explosive guitar sound and makes way for Rev78s spikier post punk side with Lucy and Harrier reeled off in a frenzy of energy. Lullaby accentuates the bands dynamic and is possibly the track that has likened Teddy Quick to Matt Bellamy, most likely due to his powerful falsetto, though really the comparison stops there. Quick is more appropriately likened to Morrissey elsewhere. Who Am I passes as another polite spat of energy, and though highly enjoyable, it does not provoke or excite interest to the extent this band can. Having said that, I do like it.
Last comes the single release of the album, Every Bone. It really is a radio friendly ballad but one worth any hype it gets, it digs deep and flourishes lyrically and instrumentally in appropriate moments. Most importantly, it is a song with longevity and really could be an anthem.
Boy in the Blitz really does pack a punch, but may not hit hard enough. However, I will be looking out for these guys to follow up with an uppercut pending their second album.
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