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Countless Thousands – You’re Goddamn Right

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Nov 30, 2016.

  1. Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    I don’t review anywhere near a high percentage of the albums that land in my inbox. Largely, this fact is due to sheer, raw statistics. I get dozens of promos a day, most of them from artists I’ve never heard of. I don’t even have time to listen to the majority of them, let alone put pen to paper and give each album a fair, in-depth write-up. Believe me when I say that I wish I did have that kind of time.

    With all that said, though, even I couldn’t resist giving Los Angeles rock band Countless Thousands a review, and their music was only one of several reasons. Between one of those eye-catching band names that pulls you in right away, a funny, tongue-in-cheek album title (You’re Goddamn Right), and an intriguing RIYL that included names like Against Me!, The Clash, and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, these guys won my attention in a way that few unknown bands ever do with a promo email. Add a serious master class in bio writing, which casts the four band members as a “show choir reject,” an “East Coast jazz legend,” a “cosplay nerd,” and a “Civil War reenacting drum geek,” and I was ready to write half the review before I even pressed play.

    Luckily, the act of pressing play only made things better. Countless Thousands are more than a good band name, a killer list of influences, and a fantastic bio section. Indeed, they are also a damn solid rock band, playing the kind of big-hearted melodic punk rock that their key influences have always excelled in. Their sound is fluid and flexible, shifting effortlessly from the punkier moments (the punchy lead-off track, fittingly titled “The Asskickers’ Union”) to flavors of doo-wop (the mostly-acoustic “Excellent Horse Like Lady”) and country (the rockabilly “Only Child”). There’s also an urgency to the sound and performances that will appeal to fans of the modern “emo revival,” from the high-wattage riffs that dot most of the songs to the emotive vocal work of David Van Gorder.

    At their best and most immediate, Countless Thousands sound downright anthemic. Case-in-point is “Websters’ Dictionary Defines Marriage As,” a touching love song with a full-throated shout-along chorus. The song distills Countless Thousands down to all of their key essentials, from the big melodies and riffs to the tongue-in-cheek lyricism (“I treasure every day that you chose me/Even if you choose the most expensive ring,” Van Gorder sings at the end of the chorus).

    Thanks largely to Van Gorder’s vocals, the band ends up sounding most like a happier version of The Menzingers. However, comparisons aside, Countless Thousands are putting their own unique mix on melodic punk rock with this release, and it’s a pleasure to see. Closer “Gang Fight” is nearly rock-operatic in scope, recalling some of the bigger storytelling suites from Green Day’s American Idiot, while “We’ve Got a Dress Code” gallops along like a slice of early-2000s summertime pop-punk. Every track is distinct from the one that came before it, and while some of them lapse into immature lyricism (“Only Child” is mostly about an asshole sister and doesn’t have the staying power of the rest of the songs), the majority of the record is catchy and lyrically engaging enough to remain great. Put it this way: if you need some music to tide you over until the new Menzingers record arrives in February, the six songs that make up You’re Goddamn Right might just do the trick.

     
  2. This was a super fun review to read.
     
  3. Brenden

    Trusted Prestigious

    I just want to commend you for writing something that doesn't reference Brian Fallon, Butch Walker, and Bruce Springsteen.
     
    JRGComedy and ConArdist like this.
  4. noKings

    Regular

    Good rec.
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  5. Zip It Chris

    Be kind; everyone is on their own journey.

    Holy Against Me sound...
     
  6. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Thanks man! Felt like a lot of people around here would dig these guys, so I wanted to write something about them.

    What a weird, condescending comment.

    Haha, right?
     
    Chase Tremaine likes this.
  7. This is hilarious. Someone either knows you too well or doesn't know you whatsoever, hahahah
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  8. FTank

    Prestigious Prestigious

    I think this is the first time a review's made me instantly put on an album by a band I've never heard of, haha. Well done, Craig.
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  9. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Ha, well let's be honest, I reference Isbell more than any of those people save maybe Springsteen.

    Ha, I like that!
     
    Chase Tremaine likes this.
  10. mercury

    modern-day offspring fanatic Supporter

    Thanks for the how-to on successfully cold emailing journalists:blush:

    Seriously though, great review, and I'm enjoying listening to this EP as much as I enjoyed reading it!
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  11. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Haha, seriously, this band's bio was a work of art. Hope you enjoy the EP too!
     
    mercury likes this.