Remo Drive is tired too. Greatest Hits sees the band taking from both old and new in fantastic fashion. Unlike many other bands that blatantly rip off the heralded classics, these three college kids have found their own sound that sits comfortably between Weezer’s Pinkerton and straight up punk music. What they do take from the 90s is the idea of not trying to do too much. Songs like ‘Strawberita’ are really extremely simple songs that feature a driving punk riff, catchy melodic vocals, and an energetic percussion section. And that’s really the whole album for you in the simplest of terms. In addition to this, the band also takes from some of the more successful recent emo bands. Elements of JANK can be found within the lead singer’s vocal melodies, Joyce Manor within the driving bass, and Mimisiku within the crunchy guitar tones. Yes, this album does “jam hard” and it does “feel genuine”, and yes, the lyrics are pretty stereotypical but still manage to hit hard. More importantly, the band has attempted to revitalize the things that truly make this genre so special. So I guess it’s up to you to decide if they are successful or not.
