bill bodkin looks at the newest from a fantastic New Jersey band …
Only Living Boy might be named after a Paul Simon song, but this band will not be politely strumming their guitars about the sounds of silence — they will be breaking a bottle of whiskey over your head and melting your face off with pure rock fury.
Their latest record, Hide Nothing, is a brilliant piece of hard rock, blues and sublime grooves. The band has an amazing bounce to their sound, one that evokes images of guitarists leaping in the air, sweat flying off high hats with each strike. It’s fierce, it’s melodic — think Stone Temple Pilots at their very best.
Lead vocalist and guitarist Joe Cirotti is an explosive singer. His growls are Weiland-esque, but he lacks the control and poise of Weiland. Some may say this is a bad thing, but it adds an air of unpredictability, of chaos — you know, rock ‘n’ roll. Bassist Eric Curley and drummer Trevor Newcomb provide an absolutely sick, tight and thunderous backbone to OLB’s sound, creating a gigantic wall of sound.
The definitive track on the album is “My Heart Is Burning.” This track is an adrenaline-pumping, blues-based thunderbolt. It’s so high-energy, so intense, yet there is a sense of control within the chaos of this song. The bounce from Newcomb and Curley creates a massive wall of sound that is just so awesome. Cirotti shows off his guitar prowess on the track while ripping himself in half with his vocals. This track is bombastic and intense — an absolute treat for those who have missed these qualities in today’s modern rock.
Hide Nothing is great, God’s honest rock ‘n’ roll music. Music that’s DNA has strands from Delta blues, British classic rock and American grunge. If you’ve been searching for a great hard rock album — you need look no further, Only Living Boy’s Hide Nothing has arrived.
Only Living Boy will hold their record release party for Hide Nothing on Saturday, June 18 at The Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, N.J., along with Dead Exs, Atlantic Atlantic and The Quimby Mountain Band.
