Punk rock is a genre defined by its raw sound. The unfiltered sonic power coming from distorted guitars screeching experimentally dynamic riffs over lyrical attitude that screams against conformity is a universally appealing quality. Juniper Avenue’s latest album, “Chuck Rock,” is an eclectic blend of rock influences that smashes together with the punk rock spirit that proves it lives on.
“Everything Must Go” kicks it off. With a quick lash of the guitar, the track wastes no time in exploding onto the scene. From the top, the track lets you know it’s here to rock hard which is only doubled down on by the distorted vocal shouts. It’s impossible to not start banging your head and moving to the groove, with a bassline that muscles itself from underneath the aggressive guitars to make itself known and begs the listener to get lost within it. The guitar solo that transitions into the psychedelic breakdown in the outro steals the show, however, making “Everything Must Go” a wild ride that makes a killer first impression.
Title-track “Chuck Rock” is the follow-up. Reverb-laced guitar riffs are powerful and whip around the head of the listener like whiplash while the bassline creeps in underneath. When the drums hit, the instrumentals come into focus to give the bass a bounce while the guitar picks up a sweet jam. The beat rocks hard and the raspy vocal shouts give the track an authentic old-school feel. The guitar solo flips the flanger back on before it takes the track sky-high with another show-stealer of a performance. With a heavy outro that doubles down on the trashing guitars, the title track of the album is one that you won’t want to just skip over.
“Tyrant Song” is an awesome, stand-out track. The mysterious, ambient intro carries on from “Acadia” to give the track a unique first impression. When it kicks into overdrive at the scream of “write my letters, grit my teeth,” it’s accompanied by smashing drums and a sinister guitar and bass combo. The sludgy riffs explode with power that amplifies the power of the furious vocals to create a sound that’s impossible not to headbang to. The smashes of the drums are varied and dynamic, with awesome rolls that sneak in when you least expect them to give a quick rattle to the brain. With an outro that brings the track back to its grimy beginnings thanks to a whining, muddy synth, “Tyrant Song” is an absolute mind-melter of a track that will find its way onto any rock fan’s playlist.
“Bumfuzzle” comes up right after with a decidedly different vibe. The sunny guitar strums of the intro will get your head bobbin before the track doubles down on the upbeat charm when followed by an enthusiastic “woo!” When the instrumentals swell and reveal themselves, they do it hitting the ground running with popping drums and the signature groovy bassline that will lift you up out of your seat and get your body moving. While the upbeat swing of the track is easy to get lost in, the lyrics joyfully paint a world on a fire. From the top, the line “about a fever of a hundred and five, probably gonna see some crazy Hell tonight” hits hard and cuts through the aesthetic of the song when you hear it. Others such as “spiders crawlin up and down my legs, don’t understand a word my damn ass TV said. I think it’s just a game” along with “and I been thinkin, what would happen if I stole a police car? And I been thinkin, the day might come real soon” give the track a sense of chaotic whimsy that matches the high energy of the instrumentals. The fever dream of “Bumfuzzle ” is another earworm of a track with a perfect radio play aesthetic that stands out from the rest.
“Danny Fanatic” is also unmissable. The slow burn intro is captivating, with an infectious bassline that is instantly captivating. When the drums come in first to follow it, then guitars follow soon after but never drowns out the wild and evolving bassline. The psychedelic vocals that orbit around the instrumentals are ethereal and don’t intrude on the wild vibes of the musical aesthetic unless it’s meeting them right there with powerful screams of “Danny Fanatic.” Around the 2 minute mark, bassline drops into pure rock n roll with a stringy and distorted jam of focused guitar playing. When the drums roll in from behind it makes the following vocals feel incredibly powerful and mind-warping. It then leans fully back into the psychedelic rock angle with the return of the slappy bassline it started off with, creating an incredible full-circle feeling before it wraps up.
For the rock fan, “Chuck Rock” can’t be missed. The whole vibe of the album feels like the distorted indie vocals of The Strokes collide with the wild sounds of The New York Dolls which adds dashes of other rock influences. It comes together to make an album that’s hard to pull yourself away from each time you listen to it. Each track has its own unique sound, but they all use familiar elements such as their dynamic basslines and powerful distorted vocals to create a defined sound for the band. Juniper Avenue has something special in “Chuck Rock,” with tracks that stick with you long after your first listen which are also always fun to revisit and rock out to.
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