Review: Squad Five-O

Squad Five-O
“Self-Titled”
(Tooth and Nail)

At what point in the recent past did it become necessary to pay homage to 60’s garage rock? I mean, who doesn’t love the haircuts, the jams and the attitude? But do we need more of the same? Aren’t ingenuity and innovation some of the things that make music good? Needless to say, Squad Five-O’s second and self-titled full length is a forgettable trip down a path that so many bands have already tread. Cleaning it up and glossing over the original idea – rude, crude dudes jamming like it was the last day you could turn the amps all the way up. And what we get punished with is an album’s worth of bland jams featuring the traditional mix of guitars, bass and drums with surprisingly unoriginal snotty vocals and at the end of ŒScreaming with the Sirens’ Jeff Forston squeals exactly like Mick Jagger. And the lyrics? Damn yo, that shit is wack! You could have guessed this was going to be garbage (not to be confused with garage) by these guys’ picture on the cover. The disappointment also lies in the fact that the Five-O’s seem to be trying to tap into an ever present trend on the FM dial these days. Unfortunately, The Strokes and The White Stripes have their hands wrapped tightly around the sacks of cash waiting for the next big thing. Does the Squad actually believe they can jump onto the scene as America’s new lovable, gritty street kids? What am I thinking? It’s catchy and snotty. The kids will probably love it.