By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Sunday, April 8, 2018
For fans of: The Menzingers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Scandals
Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son’s newest self-titled album is the fourth to come from the East Brunswick punk band. Despite some lineup changes, The Seventh Son has been fronted by the ever-persistent Bobby Mahoney whose songwriting gets stronger every release. While it is rare enough for a local band these days to have even one full-length album under their belt, Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son have four full-length albums, which is insanely impressive. Their latest, self-titled release, is the strongest out of their catalog, and I think Bobby found his permanent lineup.
According to Bobby Mahoney, when asked about the new album: “We went into the studio last summer with a handful of new songs, and some new ideas for a few older tunes, with the goal of capturing a clear example of what we do as a band. I wanted the songs to speak for themselves, and to convey our live energy, and I think we were successful. We loved writing and playing these songs, and I think you can hear that on the record.”
Having seen Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son live countless amounts of times, they definitely achieved what they set out to do with this new release. The reworkings of older songs on this new album breathe new life into the tracks. The production quality is better and there have been certain structural changes that have led to overall more impressive tracks. Their sound on this album is now consistent with what you expect to hear after seeing them in concert, with loud guitars and passionate vocals. While there are straight ahead punk songs like “Empty Passenger Seats,” the album also includes a newly recorded version of “Black and Milds” off of 2016’s Shot in The Dark album. This track perfectly encapsulates the differing dynamics the group is able to achieve with this epic EP.
Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son seem to be gaining more steam with more shows and new songs every few months and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for the rest of 2018.
Read more: Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son - "Empty Passenger Seats" (Single Review)