Classics Of Love

Walking In Shadows EP

[3.5/5]

Veteran punk Jesse Michaels achieved the status of "Bay Area legend" fronting legendary ska-punks Operation Ivy in the late ’80s, but he’s managed to capture portions of the limelight since. Those projects are notoriously short-lived, though: Op Ivy lasted a mere two years; his next band, Big Rig, issued one four-song EP; the four-year career of his next band, Common Rider, was a comparative marathon. He’s done some recent solo shows, but most notable is the formation of his newest full-fledged band, Classics Of Love.



If COL’s debut EP, Walking In Shadows, is any indication, we hope Michaels keeps this group kicking around for a while. Shadows offers crunchy, frill-free, mid-tempo melodic punk fare–not quite the vocalist/guitarist’s best output, but certainly executed well enough to make a solid impact on any fan of his work. Opener "Countdown" is a surprisingly straight-up Revolution Summer jam, though the Rites Of Spring vibes are toned down a bit as Shadows drives on. Hints of Michaels’ other probable influences surface elsewhere, particularly the Buzzcocks vibe on the less moody "Time Flies."



Adopting hints of the angularity and raw angst of mid-’80s Dischord with the more refined pop sense of ’77, Walking In Shadows should probably come off cluttered, but given its reach, it’s a shockingly solid mix and promises even better things to come. (ASIAN MAN) Brian Shultz

GO DOWNLOAD: “Time Flies”