Tommy and June Tommy and June CD

In my head, I’ve been constructing a lengthy discourse on the lineage stretching from SIMON AND GARFUNKEL to the likes of NOFX or NO USE FOR A NAME. Y’know, close vocal harmonies, pop songs, power chords, that sort of thing. But fuck it. TOMMY AND JUNE are a duo (no shit), with more than a passing resemblance to SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, NOFX and NO USE FOR A NAME. Tommy is obviously the Paul Simon of this duo. He writes all the songs, and I’m guessing he does the lead vocals (as opposed to the typically omnipresent high harmonies). Lyrically, they talk about being punks and not wanting to grow up, and unsurprisingly, often throw in (as did SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, of course) electric guitars and drumkits into the typical folky acoustic guitar mix. As well as the patented NOFX/NO USE FOR A NAME chord and vocal harmony progressions. There’s even a bona fide (pop punk) rocker or two on this disc. And at ten tracks clocking in at twenty minutes, there’s no meandering endless introspection, nor repeat-to-fade choruses. It’s actually fucking really good, and this is coming from your humble reviewer who is the proud owner of not only the Old Friends SIMON AND GARFUNKEL box set, but every single CD ever released by NOFX (well, except Liberal Animation, which let’s face it, is embarassing bollocks). Pop-folk-punk anyone?

• Reviewer Ramsey Kanaan
• Label Fat Wreck
• Issue MRR #436 • September 2019