Blue Bloods Non-Rhotic Review

The Blue Bloods

Non-Rhotic

East Grand Recording CO

Review by hutch

This is something I never thought I would see, a third Blue Bloods review. Non- Rhotic delivers on the passionate promise witch which the first two captured me. But recharged since the mid 2000’s, they have been playing scattered shows. Blue Bloods formula is a blend of hardcore and punk and Oi which works; grabbing you in a tight New England half hug embrace while roughing you up. The lyrics are relayed the same way, wrapped in ball busting and blunt honesty. The frank approach fits Boston and punk rock well. Also, the attitude is palpable, so no shtick or pink shamrocks or shillelagh are needed to portray the Hub here.

Rough breakdowns and calculated rushes of speedy guitars fuel Blue Bloods third release. On the first release, they covered DYS, Negative Approach, and Bruce Springsteen. Is the picture painted for you? They have been on GMM and I Scream. Both of those labels are rock and roll fueled heavy punk homesteads.

Blue Bloods have not lost their touch or edge or whatever that unique spark is which they incite. The band’s hallmark is the concoction of personal, down on your luck, cold Boston winter, I need a smoke and a shot lyrics. That emotion is delivered viscerally through Tim’s voice, strained and burdened but still sung enough to be catchy. The pounding drums are another hallmark. Those drums are focused on driving the bass and thicker riffs forward in the fast sections and forcing fists to the floor during the breakdowns.

Production, handled expertly by Jim Siegel in the past, is another key component. Why stray. Sigel does it again here. Music this hard needs to be brought with a thick crunch. And we get that. There is no need to experiment. Clean, crisp guitars and full drums necessitate the proper production. 

The bottom line is that this is intelligent, emotional music. The songs, propelled by a fiery rock and roll guitar sound, escape any general themes that anchor most hardcore or Oi music these days. You can tell that that Springsteen cover was no fluke. The storytelling of these tracks is an art. When listening to the Blue Bloods, I feel as if I am hanging out with a buddy, hearing tales of the neighborhood.  The urgency is driven, but consequences are listed immediately as well. And if any of their friends read this, they probably would say “Enough already. Jesus. Ya done suckin their dick or what, kehd?” But I am pretty excited they are back. Like, wicked, even.

They also stole a quote which I have always wanted to use, “I guess she’s into Malakas”. But they wrote an entire song about it. So, they win.

RIYL: Welch Boys, Noi!se, Far From Finished (first), Murderers Row, Ducky Boys, Oxymoron, Bishops Green, Whiskey Rebels, Misfits, Slapshot, Wisdom in Chains, Social Distortion