By Sherry Thomas, Rock At Night Contributor – North Port, FL
Review: The Rumjacks – Brass For Gold – Release Date February 11, 2022
The Rumjacks make their triumphant return with the highly caffeinated EP Brass For Gold. The EP includes eight tracks guaranteed to make you move. Brass For Gold sees the band dig deeper into their ska and hard rock influences, all the while holding onto the defiant energy that ignites their sound.
The band introduced a new singer and songwriter, Mike Rivkees (lead vocals), in March 2021 on their fifth studio album Hestia. The Rumjacks developed a newfound collaborative spirit and they decided to capitalize on it by quickly returning to the studio. Johnny McKelvey (bass) said, “After the amazing response we had from Hestia’s release, we knew we had to back it up, do it justice and show we aren’t messing around with any of this”. The resulting EP is a clear representation of a band finding a new voice and making sure that voice is heard as loud as possible.
While Hestia had the band conquering a global pandemic in order to record, this EP allowed them to unite in person for the first time.
“Brass for Gold is as much as an EP can possibly offer and still be called an EP. In true Rumjacker fashion, these songs represent a variety of different stories. The topics range from lovesick nostalgia, to misfortunate war heroes, and a few lighthearted drinking songs for good measure,” Rivkees says.
Brass For Gold begins with the lively “Bounding Main”. The song is accompanied by a video with an interesting backstory. My new drink-along banger is “One For The Road”. The fifth offering, “On A Sombre Saturday”, is another shining star.
“While some EP’s tend to be quite experimental, Brass For Gold represents a solid continuation of the newly reformed Rumjacks. Once again stating (almost literally in some of the lyrics) we are passionate and dedicated songwriters.”, Rivkees said.
It’s impossible to select an absolute favorite from Brass For Gold. The entire EP is outstanding – take my word for it. I hope The Rumjacks continue for the long haul and if Brass For Gold is any indication it will be a long time!
Check out Rock At Night’s podcast interview with Mike Rivkees of The Rumjacks!
Tracklist
1. Bounding Main
2. Bloodsoaked in Chorus
3. One for the Road
4. Kicking Soles
5. On A Somber Saturday
6. Across The Water
7. Blinding Flashes
8. Falling Back
VIDEOS
SPOTIFY
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Review: Norwegian band TrollfesT’s video ‘Twenty Miles an Hour’ - February 24, 2022
- Review: The Rumjack’s album ‘Brass For Gold’ - February 7, 2022
- Review: 7Descent’s cover of The Five Stairsteps’ classic‘O-o-h Child’ - February 6, 2022
