Joe LaBine
LANCE WRITER


Sweet, melodic, pulsating and poppy are not words typically used to describe a punk record. The last thing you want to do is make punk pretty, but Montreal-based Sonic Avenues has crafted 10 three minute pop songs that are quick and easy on their sophomore release, Television Youth.

Their vocals are Killers-esque (in that they are North American with a British curl) and melodies reminiscent of indie rock like Bishop Allen and Vampire Weekend. The gem is the title track, a quick-beat, pump-up song about the “lost generation.” Its spooky melancholy feels like it’s been sucked into TV screen static. The guitar tone is well sorted out, notably the reverb crunch, on tracks like “Throw It Away.”

The downside is that all the songs on the album are upbeat, quick tunes. “Back Up Back Down,” is a needed down shift to a moderate groove near the end of the album. The relatively slower tune lets you hear how tight the harmony and guitar melding actually is, but the song is too short to really change the general feel of the album.

At its worst, Television Youth all sounds the same and at its best appears to be lacking needed dynamics. It’s catchy and fun and great for radio and playlist play, but crafting an album full of singles shouldn’t be the band’s only objective.