THE MATCHES - E. VON DAHL KILLED THE LOCALS

When I first started listening to The Matches\' debut album, E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals, I admit I thought they would sound like A Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, or a slew of other pop-punk carbon copies. But then I thought, \"I am hungry.\" And then I thought, \"I should get a burrito.\" After my failed search to find the perfect burrito, I gave The Matches a second chance.
The Matches consist of Shawn Harris on vocals and guitar, Jon Devoto on lead guitar, Justin San Souci on bass and vocals, and drummer Matt Whalen. This band of young punks caught me by surprise with the vocal styling of Harris, who has the gawky snarl and catchiness of The Cars\' Ric Ocasek. The surprises continued on tracks like \"Dog Eared Page\" and \"Audio Blood\", which, unlike most supposed punk bands, The Matches have decent wah pedal-saturated guitar solos from Devoto. As E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals continues, tracks like \"Say 18\" show Harris\' storytelling side as he belts out the tale of an infatuated lover praying that that special someone is of legal age; a trope I know all too well... damn laws and undercover cops. Other notable tracks include \"Destination Nowhere Near\", a solid song about the age-old theme of life on the road. And then there is the twelfth and final song, \"Track 11\". This song is too fucked up to explain, so I won’t. I\'ll just keep you guessing, because I am a bastard.
The Matches are no Air Supply, but, then again, who is? Overall, E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals is catchy, but after a few listens it seemed too sugary, and quickly grew stale. But, to their defense, The Matches still create radio friendly pop with punk overtones that is better than most bands of this surging genre.
Now, to find that damn cosmic burrito.