The Power And The Glory

Idioma disponible: inglés

"Young and hungry" is a term that applies to nascent bands, those true believers who are satisfied with touring in a van and sleeping on friends' floors to build their careers.  As their name implies, The Bad Ends are at the other end of that spectrum: five veterans from Athens, Georgia, who bonded over vocalist Mike Mantione's former band Five Eight, and whose relationship deepened when, as their bio puts it, "their kids attended the same elementary school and countless family gatherings and pool parties followed." 

Mantione, who has been musically linked with bassist Dave Domizi, keyboardist Geoff Melkonian, and guitarist Christian Lopez since the early 1990s, ran into Billy Berry—the former R.E.M. drummer, retired and living on his farm outside of town—on an Athens street. A jam session ensued and after deciding the chemistry was right, the quintet has now recorded its debut album, The Power and The Glory. 

To say this is the kind of solid, straight ahead rock record no one makes anymore sounds too simple … but it's true. The Bad Ends are a rock band, honed to a pleasing edge by gigging, complete with chiming and snarling electric guitars, a passionate frontman and the drive that comes with a steady 4/4 beat. "Mile Marker 29" is a bashfest, absolutely appropriate as an album opener that effectively announces their arrival as a band. "All Your Friends are Dying" has a loud-soft Southern indie rock bent. And "The Ballad of Satan's Bride," about a woman tempted after the death of her husband, is where these older fellas show they can still lay on the reverb and turn up the volume. What really marks this band as old pros though are the ballads: "Honestly," "Little Black Cloud" and especially, the album closer "New York Murder Suicide," a touching tale of enduring love whose melody is very similar in spots to "Rainbow Connection."  A new group from seasoned talents, these Ends are far from finished. © Robert Baird/Qobuz