By Keith Walsh
Based out of New Jersey, The Warhawks are getting lots of attention for their powerful sound. Prior to the pandemic they received tons of accolades for their indie releases, toured the entire U.S., and opened for White Reaper, July Talk, Sticky Fingers and others. In the midst of the pandemic The Warhawks released a free album, Live From Lockdown. And now they’re back with a brand new EP, distributed by Sony’s The Orchard.
The guitars on This Ain’t Art are exquisitely recorded, with a wall of sound sometimes reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, other times, The Ramones, Nirvana and The Foo Fighters. Brothers John and Pat Bilodeau are joined by their cousin Matt Orlando and their friend Tom Lipski; all share writing credits. The six song set was recorded at Gradwell House in NJ with engineer Dave Downham.
There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had here. The performances on the EP are solid, featuring skilled guitar work, blistering distortion, and pounding support from bass and drums, and the clever lyrics are a cut above. On the nostalgic and naughty “(I Wanna Go To) California” The Warhawks leap from all-out grunge to an apparent Beach Boys reference. The songwriting throughout the disc is catchy as hell, with lyrics that portray a longing for perfection in an imperfect world, and the need for celebration. Essentially, The Warhawks take on the problems that make life so frustrating at times.
“The Spirit Of Mechanicsburg” is a buoyant protest against banality, with a guitar riff, vocal melody and chorus made for radio. “Through” is a somewhat poppy tune with dark melodies, in the post-punk/grunge vein that gets dynamic in the chorus, which urges a friend to “get up….and get through it.” “Roll and Rock” (which name checks the Multiverse and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”) like the rest of This Ain’t Art, transforms the familiar elements of bass, guitar, drums and vocals into something fresh and fun. This is a record that demands to be played loud.
Fans in U.S. can catch The Warhawks as they tour to promote This Ain’t Art. Check their site and socials for new dates.
The Warhawks dot com
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The Warhawks On Bandcamp
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