Canada's legendary punk rockers The Scenics are back with a new record Dead Man Walks Down Bayview and it's a collection of affecting Jim Carroll/Richard Hell-inspired riffers and slowburners that recall everyone from Tom Verlaine to Leonard Cohen, of all people.
Opener "Dark Cave" takes a hint of Van Morrison and adds it to a charging and nearly Grateful Dead-like use of twangy guitars. "I Can't Be Careful" updates 1960s-styles with a hint of 1970s-era Lou Reed. Supple guitar-work dominates the record and "When You Come Around" takes Velvet Underground's legacy and mashes it up with a hint of The Byrds -- great stuff!
"Miami", which you can play below, owes an enormous debt to Television's Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine.
On the whole, Dead Man Walks Down Bayview is a compelling mix of tunes which update the punk template for the 21st century. These Canadian musicians have managed to perfectly distill the bits that made the NYC scene so important.
For more on the comeback of The Scenics, check out their official website:
www.thescenics.com