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ALBUM PROFILES BY JOSEPH REGAL
 Banquets/Mayflower - "split"
The Banquets/Mayflower split, released on Black Numbers, captures the spirit of punk rock, with each band doing so in their own special way. Each contributing two new songs and a cover, it’s short, sweet and powerful.
Jersey City’s own Banquets get first crack. With his undeniable wail, vocalist Travis is one of the very best punk rock singers around. He could sing the phone book and make you a believer, but fortunately he doesn’t have to because his lyrics are as astounding as his vocals. Beginning with “Sexy Ghosts”, its crunching opening riff lets you know exactly what you’re in for, and by the time the introductory line “Oh heart, cigarette, sleeve/I throw my piss to the breeze/and all my dreams are fading/from the sun and the wind and rain” hits you, you’re already balls deep. Next up is “Unforgiven V”, a bit of a slower change of pace for Banquets but equally as powerful. The lyrics are darker, as suggested by the line “It will go from sun to shit, to rain, to love to hate, to guilt to shame”, but the impact does not regress in the least. Rounding out their half of the EP is a cover of Hot Rod Circuit’s “Versatility”, which they pull off so flawlessly that you wonder if there ever really was a Hot Rod Circuit version at all. Hailing from Upstate New York, Mayflower’s portion of the split is more straight forward pop punk. Their first offering, “Cork High”, clocks in at just over a minute and a half. It’s fast, hard and blissful, and with a sound reminiscent of an un-Irish Dropkick Murphys – a fun, feel good song. Following next is the fantastic “Archival” which starts off sounding like the best song Brand New hasn’t written since their Your Favourite Weapon album. It’s slow, monotone and both lyrically and musically dark, but then it unexpectedly explodes into an idyllic punk rock whoa-whoa song. Closing the EP is a cover of Creedence’s “Travelin’ Band”. While at one time I thought there were enough late 60’s/early 70’s cover songs out there, Mayflower’s version has me second guessing. It captures the original sentiment, speeds it up and spits it out. My love for Banquets is what brought me to this split EP, and it’s beyond what I had hoped for and expected. The unexpected Mayflower left hook is just the icing on the cake. Come for Banquets, stay for Mayflower. You will have this split on repeat for months. The Banquets/Mayflower split is available for purchase here: http://blacknumbers.bandcamp.com/album/split - Joseph Regal 1. Banquets - Sexy Ghosts 02:21 2. Banquets - Unforgiven V 02:11 3. Mayflower - Cork High 01:35 4. Mayflower - Archival 04:21 |