Bombshell Rocks is one of the many punk rock revivalists to emerge from Northern Europe, a hotbed of talent that has also donated
the Division of Laura Lee and
the Hives to American audiences. Unfortunately,
Bombshell Rocks doesn't quite nail the distinctive swagger or aggressive attitude of their contemporaries, instead recalling a more crisp version of
Social Distortion. Anthemic and quite polished, the only problem with the album are the actual songs, which aren't very memorable. The obstacle to any group pursuing this particular style is that there are so many bands doing the exact same thing that lacking a distinct songwriting style can easily sink a decent album.
From Here and On is a good example of this idea in practice, as
Bombshell Rocks writes energetic songs, but the lack of memorable hooks or an original voice makes the material seem more bland than it is.
Bombshell Rocks is a talented, energetic bunch, but this album is more an exercise in by-the-numbers punk rock than anything else. It's hard not to recommend this, as the fervent performances are quite respectable. But in the end, the record is simply does not deliver the songs that warrant this sort of passion, making it a well-intentioned but average album in a sea of equally average releases. ~ Bradley Torreano