BANDS:

Punk & Ska
80's New Wave/
Post-Punk/
College Bands
90's & Beyond
Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

The Passport Again: Hold on to the Memory EP
[Makeshift/Migrant]

You have to get excited when a rock band from the South can captivate you without having to sound like Lynryd Skynrd. While only giving us seven songs to digest, these four Tennesseans offer a lot of choices when it comes to filling your plate at their down-home barbeque. What they bring to the feast are delicate words to go along with their Sunday-morning guitar strumming. When the guitars shift into fuzz-mode, the drums delve into the neighborhood of substantiality. Most bands that consider themselves lo-fi would love to be compared to Sebadoh in terms of the creative exchange of ideas between two musically talented individuals. If Tommy Bateman and J.D. Reager (the two who supposedly tow the Lou Barlow/ Jason Loewenstein line) keep writing confessional tales of disappointment and heartache, they will easily surpass Sebadohs sad fate. This EP is not plagued with direct hints at the bands influences, but there is an undertone stating that they do not wish to venture outside their own proven formula. Fortunately, the Passport Agains formula is potent and continues to entice well beyond the ending of the closing track,  This Charging Beast . The songs opening organ sets the tone for a decadently lush spilling of fervor, but soon kicks into a swaying melody that makes me think that Knoxville is as depressing for the Passport Again as the Pacific Northwest is for Modest Mouse. The standout track on the EP is  The Knoxville Song , which features two guest-musicians, Joey Kneiser on guitar and Baby Jebus on the piano. While the two do not add an uncomfortable amount of texture to the song, there are moments where you wish the other songs sounded as full. The band shines brightest with Southern Comfort, which features just the four members of the band. While it is doubtful that the song is the drinking anthem for most students at the University of Tennessee, many southerners can identify with the familiar description of what they consider their homes. Western skies will shine, Eastern shores seem cold and gray are words that perfectly capture the ambivalence of southern living. Southern Comfort will remain are the words that describe the feeling best.

This album can be purchased at The Passport Again Official Website

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