Vinny and the Hooligans – Don’t Give Up

Vinny and The Hooligans… You can only come from one place with a name like Vinny and The Hooligans, punk rock ground zero… New York. This bands a solid blend of street rock n roll, and bubblegum style punk rock.

From the opening track these guys wear their heart on their sleeve. The song “All We Know” informs us that playing this music is what they do – and they do it well! The musicianship and songwriting is top notch (if you’re into that sort of thing). Lyrically is where they won me over, starting with the appropriately titled “Love Song”.

Before I knew it, I was singing along. An immediately familiar record, you can tell these guys grew up on a steady diet of The Ramones, The Clash, and Cocksparrer. Vinny’s voice often reminds me of Moral Crux, and so does the guitar work, when it’s not reminding me of Johnny Thunders.

Don’t Give Up is instant nostalgia… you can tell Vinny was missing the old days when writing this album, especially “Take me back”. Closing the album is the epic track “Winter” which includes a group anthem for the final minutes of the album chanting “stand by me, I’ll stand by you” – closing with a stellar Only Ones esque solo.

This is an emotional album for tough guys, a sentimental nephew of the Heartbreakers, and a melodic cousin to the Bouncing Souls. All the songs sound just a bit different, and you don’t want to skip any of them. Solid album start to finish.

vinnyandthehooligans.bandcamp.com

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