Album Review: Love Hate And Then There’s You – Von Bondies

After four long years, the Von Bondies are back with a crop of twelve new songs that manage to give a big middle finger to all of the band’s harsh critics, fair-weather friends, tone-deaf record executives and former lovers, while at the same time showing you exactly why they’re still one of best bands ever to come out of Detroit.

Now, I know what you’re going to say, “you’re just playing fodder to a bunch of hometown locals,” and though this maybe not be entirely false, I pose this simple question to you: have Jason Stollsteimer and his trusty drummer, Donny Blum, ever released a song that was less than stellar, and the answer is easily “no.”

Staying true to their 2003 release, , starts things off with the explosive Butch Walker-produced “This Is Our Perfect Crime” (which could have easily been the album’s first single), and then puts all the naysayers in their place with “Shut Your Mouth.”  Marrying a gritty driving guitar under the choir, chanting chorus “can you say a good thing about us?/ Can you say a good thing, good thing,” the song has the intense angst that would drive a 90 lbs. weakling into bodybuilder only to kick the living shit out the guy who stole his milk money several years prior.

The album’s first single, “Pale Bride,” (which can be heard all over satellite radio these days) is nothing less then outstanding.  Catchy riffs and hooks mix in the best from their ’05 hit single “C’Mon C’Mon” with a layer of complexity that leaves you chanting and marching to the song’s dark lyrical undertones.

The album takes a change of pace with the creepy blues of  “Only To Hunt You,” lollipop coated “21st Birthday” and “She’s Dead To Me” which may be the album’s best addition to the Von Bondies‘ hallowed trademark: girl/boy back ‘n’ forth vocals. The song, “Chancer,” brings an element of surf rock to the band’s repertoire, while the happiness of “Accidents Will Happen” makes you wonder if the band recently time-traveled to the 1950′s when girls were known as “dames” or “broads.”

Clearly calling out one of the band’s real-life adversaries, “Earthquake” is drummer Don Blum’s first foray into song writing and the reason for Stollsteimer’s uncharacteristic foul language.  But it’s the album’s final track, “Modern Saints,” that really pushes the band’s studio presence to it’s more epic potential.

Though it’s been a long time coming, fans of the band will surely be happy with , while newcomers will be kicking themselves in the head for not discovering the Von Bondies earlier (but then they wouldn’t be reading MCR anyways).

Featured Track: 
“Pale Bride”