Bomb Cats

Equal parts early punk rock, 90s alternative, and classic rock, Indianapolis-based Bomb Cats' latest EP release Third Street Melody packs in the hooks while keeping the energy at a steady rumble. The album scores nights of bopping around in sweaty bar rooms, telling tales of the musician's lifestyle and middle-American living.

The title track kicks off the record using slapback echo and shimmering suspended guitar strums to create a more memorizing texture than your standard punk fare. They sing of rock n roll glory and the lineage that continues to be passed down through the generations. The bridge's countermelody on bells and hearty guitar solo have definite touchstones with The E Street Band's signature sound, evoking 'Born To Run' and other All-American rebel anthems.

'Good Advice' keeps the four on the floor train rolling with palm-muted guitar pushing the pumping pace. They name-check Nirvana's B-Side collection Incesticide as they pine for the musical appreciation of the grunge-era generation over the current youth's shallower tastes. 'Hypocrite' may not have the same amphetamine buzz beat of 90s Offspring but the sheen of the vocals and the lyrics are definitely on par with the punk stalwarts. There's also some of Social Distortion's ironic storytelling and happy-go-lucky swing. The album wraps with 'Flesh Fiend', a driving 70s-inspired burnout led by an obstinate cowbell and Stooges-like persistence on the guitar. The echoing vocals also recall Iggy Pop but in his post-Stooges days when he had calmed down from the whooping maniac of the early days to focus more on the mechanics of songwriting.

Third Street Melody is a good-time record for a Friday night with friends down at the bar. The band has a clear appreciation for the early punk rock movement but the music that emerges bears more resemblance to classic rock and modern alternative than the raucous mayhem of the Ramones and Sex Pistols etc.