If you're a fan of the slam bam Rock & Roll style of bands like Social Distortion and the Punk and edgy attitude that made up the Ramones then The Backyard Babies are one of those bands who you really should be looking into. They were formed in Sweden back in 1987 but you North American Punk fans might have only heard about them in whispers or in music downloaded by unconventional means since they are not able to come around these parts all that often. Most of their music had been unavailable until the issue of a greatest hits type of package called Tinnitus and a live effort called Live, Live In Paris which were both available on Liquor & Poker Music. Their first go at new original music and a long overdue domestic release comes to us in People Like People Like People Like Us and while it's a welcome change from bands who call themselves Punk (Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Fallout Boy), its not exactly what I expected from them. I have to admit that I feel spoiled by the best of compilation since it was my own first go at the band and presented to me all of the tracks of note so when I put this one on I was expecting a little more of an assault. It's not bad by any margin but the impact of tunes like "Making Enemies Is Good" or "Look At You" are not even come close to by the releases most notable efforts of "Blitzkrieg Loveshock" and "The Mess Age (How Could I Be So Wrong)". There are a quite a few numbers that they can get the audience singing along to and we find this in "You Cannot Win" and the title track but in the end the band seems to have taken far too many safe roads. Perhaps it's a little more of their own maturity showing and their feeling that they no longer need to take the road of alcohol soaked Sleaze Rock at this stage in their professional career. Single material is found on "Roads" which also offers that quasi-Southern ballad kind of vibe and my thoughts are that in the live sense this one has the lighters fired up in response. The guitar playing of Dregen, drums of Peder and bass from Johan is tight while Nicke delivers his smooth and raspy vocal lines.
The release will definitely take the bands older fan base a little more to get into since they were probably expecting this one to come with a warning label about causing combustion and disruption to one's daily existence as opposed to the more standard head bopping that I found myself discovering. It's still a good selection of music and much better than the stuff that passes for Punk in the modern American scene today so if you are interested in bands of this type I suggest you pick it up or at least hit one of the legal download mediums and order the recommended tracks in our commentary. Lyrics and a couple of photos are provided in the booklet that comes in the package.
Track List
1. People Like People Like Us
2. Cockblocker Blues
3. Dysfunctional Professional
4. We Go A Long Way Back
5. Roads
6. Blitzkrieg Loveshock
7. The Message (How Could I Be So Wrong)
8. I Got Spades
9. Hold 'Em Down
10. Heroes & Heroines
11. You Cannot Win
12. Things To Do Before We Die
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