The first song on Sumer Soon is titled “Dirty Taint.” And if that doesn’t put a taste in your mouth for what’s to come, well, keep reading then. There’s some trash rock influence, for sure, but it’s not that cut-and-dried. The Bambies also have some heavy Ramones influence that gives a more wholesome counter tone. It walks the trash punk line, but ultimately toes more on the punk rawk side of things instead. There’s lots of guitar with those big swingin’ licks that give some extra luster and attitude, but it’s over a strong Ramones drum beat and songs with one-to-three word titles. Second-to-last track “RNR With You” is probably more indicative of the style.
The record is short, fast and meant to be played loud. It’s energetic and really well balanced. There are those flashy guitar moments, but just as many harmonies and group vocals -- which is a good thing because each of those styles are overplayed and get boring on their own fast. What strikes me the most is how the band integrates the styles together seamlessly. This isn’t a case of a trashy rock song, then a pop-punk song, then another rocker. It’s all-in-one and it works. There are well placed guitar lines as bridges, followed by group harmonies and repetitive choruses and it works better than it sounds on paper. But subtle bass and hi-hat elements that add flourish at just the right times.
“Echo” is a classic Ramones-style bopper, except the bassline struts with a confident swagger instead of hiding in the shadows. “Go Gore Boy” is another hybrid example. It’s a classic verse-chorus-verse bopper, but the tempo picks up speed with a few seesaw guitars that throw just enough variance to keep it interesting. “Running Through The Night” takes that power chord concept but adds some sizzle. This record is exactly what you’d expect if you combined protopunk, garage rock, and the Ramones. That should pretty simple and familiar, yet few bands pull it off this well.
