The Loved Ones' popularity took off quite a bit last year with the release of Build & Burn. This had the band taking a more basic rock-n-roll approach than their debut Keep Your Heart, which is one of the best pop-punk records to be released in recent years. The band's latest EP, Distractions shows the band going in the same direction they did on Build & Burn and improving on it in many ways. The EP consists of two new tracks, three covers and one song leftover from the Keep Your Heart sessions. Each track sounds different from the other and shows a lot of potential for The Loved Ones in the future.
The song "Distracted" starts off the EP with a bang as vocalist Dave Hause's gruff voice stands out from the beginning and proves to be a main factor with The Loved Ones' sound. Their emphasis on writing catchy hooks and choruses is another thing that they do well on this EP. Both "Distracted" and "Last Call" make great use of keyboards as the former uses a church organ and the latter begins with a lovely piano intro. It's clear the band is trying out some different things and they work out very well in their favor. These two tracks could give the band a lot of recognition and success if the band is sent in the right direction. "Spy Diddley" may sound familiar to some because it's from the Keep Your Heart sessions and was included on a Fat Wreck comp. It sounds a bit out of place on this EP but it does show how much the band has changed over the past few years as it's fast and aggressive sound contrasts with the more polished and rough sound of their newer material.
The three covers are all excellent and also show potential for the band's future. The one that stands out the most is Dave Hause's solo version of the Bruce Springsteen classic "Johnny 99." This song was recorded in just one take and may even make The Boss proud if he heard it. The other cover that stands out is the acoustic version of Joe Strummer's "Coma Girl" which pays tribute to one of the most respected musicians in punk rock. Also on the EP is the band's take on the Billy Bragg song "Lover's Town Revisited.' It's a lot faster and punk sounding than the other two covers, but it's done very well as The Loved Ones are very good at that style.
Both the original tracks and the covers show great potential for The Loved Ones future. They've come such a long way from their punk rock beginnings and might be ready to take off into the mainstream if their label uses them correctly. I expect great things to come from The Loved Ones and if they keep releasing quality material like this, then I wont be disappointed.
