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Next In Line
Traffic
2003, Indie Vision Musics
This record crept in under the radar. The label, Indie Vision, have announced their intention of retiring from active duty, but you can bet Next In Line won‘t last long on the indie circuit, if there‘s any justice. One of a too-few number of artists truly striving for something original and quality, NIL have put in the time, playing and associating with established acts like Goldfinger and Slick Shoes. Heck, this record was even produced by Masaki Liu, longtime studio general for punk rock greats Five Iron Frenzy.
Yes. The record. With all that punk pedigree behind it, one might expect a thirty-minute blitzkrieg of pick scrapes and cutesy two-part harmonies a la Craig‘s Brother (another band NIL have shared a stage with), but no. Thankfully, as referred to earlier, this band‘s ticking differently, incorporating some female backing vocals (always a plus!) and sprinkling keyboards and synth noise here and there (‘Frequency‘ and ‘Ragan Years‘, among others); overall this band gives the first impression that they‘re comfortable with their skills and influences, adding various effects at times and plowing straight ahead at others. ‘Ragan Years‘, in particular, has a great bridge with shining guitars and soaring vocal harmonies, while ‘Low Tide‘ and ‘Alibi‘ are ballads rooted in simple, rootsy blues. The standout element, though, is vocalist Anthony Catalano‘s voice: hoarse, like he‘s straining but really isn‘t. It‘s honest and unpolished, with no studio trickery; I bet it‘s exactly how he sounds live, like MxPx‘s Mike Herrera but with age-cracked vocal chords. It bleeds an earnest quality that‘s timeless.
Next In Line are reminiscent of what Switchfoot might have sounded like years ago in their infancy, with guitars both raucous and subdued (the guitars sound so good on this record!) coupled with solid songwriting; Catalano has a flippantly straightforward lyrical ability that endears his songs to the listener, even if they‘re somewhat cryptic and personal in places. With an earthy, mid- to late-‘90s influence apparent; the songs sound like they‘re simply written and banged out in no time, with nice harmonies and guitar solos spliced in - where that‘s concerned, this is a real rock band in a time when they‘re pretty scarce in popular music. ‘Blues (Straight)‘ and ‘Blues (On Ice)‘ are each roughly a minute long, serving as vocal-less, seamless interludes, and their addition only reinforces the idea that this is a band firmly in control of their songs, instruments and how they wanted their album to sound.
Bottom, er, line: Next In Line have the same gift of songwriting that characterizes bands like Helicopter Helicopter and the apparently re-formed PFR: the ability to write honest, instantly memorable tunes that stick like glue. Rock that‘s good for the soul.