REATARDS / LOST SOUNDS alumnus JAY REATARD plays the ’77-’78 style punk thing with class and timelessness. I really have almost no love for any of the punk rock retreads that take the most superficial elements of THE SEX PISTOLS, RAMONES and THE CLASH. Most of these bands end up sounding like wannabes who have no clue on earth to write a good tune or come up with anything original. It’s a good thing Jay steers clear of this idiotic ideology. They may sound like they are stuck in the late 70’s, but their sound and songs rank up there with the best of ‘em. We are talking WIRE’s “Pink Flag”, THE DAMNED’s “Machine Gun Etiquette”, THE ADVERTS’s “Looking Through Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”, etc.

From the get go we are led through some pretty anthemic tunage from the title track “Blood Visions” and “Greed/ Money/ Useless Children” to “My Shadow”. Things mellow a bit on tunes like “My Family” and “Oh It’s Such a Shame”. These two are just too damn good for their own good. I’m not hearing anything less than good on this here disc. “We Who Wait” kicks it up another notch. The album’s closer “Waiting For Something” starts off with an old DEVOesque intro and ends up at one point with some pretty nifty dual harmonized lead guitar. “Blood Visions” has it all. Great song writing, arduous loud guitars, burley bass and decimating drums drive the point home. The production values are very artistic in a very late ‘60’s type of way. The guitars are mostly hard panned. The drums sound at times as if the entire kit is moving back and forth around my living room. What a great mixing job. What a great album.

- Herring

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/jayreatard

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