Some albums invite you into a time capsule; others strap you in the cockpit and press light speed ahead.
Rock City, The Maxims’ debut full-length album, kicks down the garage door and enters a 1970s punk party in full swing. From song one, “She Says, She Says,” listeners are catapulted into a medley of distorted guitars and in-your-face rock and roll with singable hooks and head-bangable riffs.
Throughout the album, The Maxims (signed to Gratitude Sound Music) seize a warm, energetic live sound from yesteryear and hold on tight. Each of the songs were recorded as live takes in a single weekend, recorded analog, straight to tape. “It ultimately comes down to the live performance and being able to melt faces with songs that mean a shit ton to us, with the hope that people listening can feel and connect with that too,” says Avi Meyers (guitar/vox).
Songs like “Choppa Choppa” inject instant energy into a room. “Boom Chi Chi Boom” lights up like a prairie fire. “Shot Cold” makes you want to move like a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man on a windy day.
But for as in-your-face as the album is, there are moments of reprieve and introspection. “Nothing Else Matters” offers up a quiet ballad, a plea for help that builds over the course of the album’s longest song. “I’ve got to get out of this place,” Meyers sings softly.
Later in the album on “Can I Stay Here,” Meyers changes his tune, singing “I think I’ll stay here and let this pass me by.”
Whichever experiences Meyers and co. are recounting seem to be more complicated than the music immediately seems to suggest.
“Rock City was inspired by the places that bear its name and the experiences we had while rocking the clubs that call these places home,” says Meyers.
In the end, home is home, and there’s no place quite like it.
What’s next for the band? Look for a tour in early 2019, with new tunes to accompany it.
More from The Maxims: