In the age of the emo revival, it’s getting more and more difficult to just find straight-up punk rock. You know what I mean – just plain ol’ rowdy guitars, frantic vocals and wicked basslines, with more lyrics about getting drunk and going to a show rather than just crywanking in your bedroom. So in some ways, Resuscitators are a breath of fresh air. In others, they’re little more than a whisper of nostalgia, refusing to accept the fact that times have indeed moved on.
Make It Through Another Night is messy. It’s difficult to tell whether this is a good or a bad thing at times, but on the whole, I’ve considered it to be more on the good side. After all, punk was not created to fit into a box, but to tear the box apart and spit on it when you’re done. I imagine most of the songs on the record would sound fantastic live, but on record, there’s a certain lack of cohesion that occasionally frustrates. Take ‘Stronger Drinks’, for example – there’s a hell of a lot of energy, but hardly any of the parts are in time with each other. In a time where you can effectively make an album on your iPad, it seems bizarre. The backing vocals often overshadow the lead – towards the end of ‘Jaws of Life’, it all becomes a bit shambolic and while that may be part of the charm in a live show, it seems very out of place on a record.
However, there are plenty of great moments peppered throughout. The bass is fantastic – it’s got that classic punk tone and absolutely storms through every track with Matt Freeman-esque bravado. ‘Little Victories’ starts with some triumphant gang vocals and shows the most potential out of all – it’s exactly the kind of track you’d imagine on a Tony Hawk game, with loads of Bouncing Souls-inspired licks. Final track ‘WWPD’ sounds incredible – it’s the only acoustic track on the record, and the vocals are amazing. However, it’s let down by an invasive electric solo that sounds totally out of place, ruining what could potentially be a really poignant end to the EP. It’s too typical a cliché – sometimes, this results in some pretty fun moments, like the “one two, fuck you” in ‘The Ataris Ruined My Sex Live’, but at other times, it’s damaging and too irritating to let go.
Make It Through Another Night has the potential to make for a really fun experience, but putting it all down on record makes it seem like something’s been lost somewhere. On the plus side, the songs all have a solid foundation, but a lack of control stops them from reaching their full potential. However, there’s no doubt that Resuscitators would be an absolute joy to see perform, and hopefully on the next record, they’ll have worked out a few of the kinks.
3 out of 5 high fives!