The Forty Nineteens have been around for a while, but not necessarily as The Forty Nineteens. The band is made up of former members of acts like The Leonards and Mary’s Danish, who performed throughout Los Angeles’ gritty ’80s underground scene, and the U.S. Bombs, who were an Orange County-based punk group. This explains the group’s raw rock sound, which would not be out of place on a radio station in the 1980s.
Spin It opens with “Falling Down,” which introduces the listeners to the band’s Elvis Costello meets Bruce Springsteen sound, and has a melody reminiscent of The Ravyn’s 1982 hit, “Raised On The Radio.” As the first single released from Spin It, “Modern Romance” has a KISS-like energy and features a delightfully whiny guitar. Possibly the best song on the release, “Have A Good Time” takes a step back from all the noise and focuses on keeping a cheerfully care-free attitude. Another high-energy, high-impact cut, “Pink ’55 Bel Air” ditches any metaphorical lyrics for a pounding repetition of the words, “She’s no good,” all set to the backdrop of a screaming guitar. The album closes with “Dead Flowers,” an unexpectedly Americana track that ties in well to the rest of the LP and concludes the record on a terrific note.
The Forty Nineteens have a rare talent to sound good with any kind of song they decide to record, whether it be ’80s garage rock, Elvis Costello-inspired New Wave, or even slow and breezy Americana. Spin It is an excellent second release from these veteran rockers and hopefully there will be more energy-packed music to come.
In A Word: Blended
