The Loved Ones

Keep Your Heart

(Fat Wreck)

Record Review by Alexis Roberts

When listening to bands such as Sick of It All, The Explosion and The Bouncing Souls, it’s hard to not be inspired to write music of your own.  That’s why merch guy/tour manager Dave Hausse decided to pick up a guitar in 2003 and recruit a couple of his buddies from Kid Dynamite and The Curse to start a band.  That band became The Loved Ones, and, yes, you will love them.

It’s been a long time since a really good punk album seemed to be jumping off of the shelves, and it’s about time that it happened again.  This album could end that dry spell, because it will catch the attention of people who like all genres of rock.  This isn’t strictly pop-punk, or punk-rock, or rock n’ roll—every song has its own feel.

One of the stand-out songs on this album is “Slower,” which is musically slower and lyrically heavier than most of the other songs, really giving listeners a chance to see the serious side of the band.  “Jane” shows the polar opposite side of The Loved Ones and is, quite possibly, the catchiest song ever written.  Although the lyrics are again quite heavy, the music is so poppy that you will want to get up and dance around like a maniac.

The Loved Ones can easily be compared to The Ataris circa Blue Skies, Broken Hearts, and you can definitely hear influences from other punk/rock bands in their songs, like Sum 41, Rancid, Rise Against, and even Flogging Molly.

All in all, this band knows how to make punk sound graceful.  The vocal melodies are addictive and Hausse’s voice—low and a bit rough-sounding—is sure to woo the ladies and impress the gentlemen.