Role Models “The Go To Guy”

Sometimes the presence of a couple of musicians in a band is almost enough to guarantee you are going to be on to something special. The fact that Role Models are led by Rich Rags, formerly of The Loyalties would normally suffice, once you find out he is joined by his mate Rich Jones that guarantee is signed, sealed and delivered. Rich has played with some of the best punk rock n roll bands in recent years and is currently with Michael Monroe’s band. Coincidentally, ex Hanoi member, Sami Yaffa also plays on a track here which is one hell of an accolade.

The guys hit the ground running with “Lie For Today”, a perfect blend of punk and pop influences moulded together. It’s got the catchy chorus and melody but still keeps a sense of urgency and passion. They follow it with the glam punk of “Saturday Night Sailor”. It’s a great blend of melody with a hint of debauchery which, given the title, had us feeling like reaching for our bottle of Sailor Jerry to really kick start the party! They then manage to step up the catchiness with the power pop inspired sound of “The Jerk”. It’s a sound which is maintained by “Cherry Dear” which has us remembering the days when rock n roll music was played with the idea of just having a good time and forgetting your troubles.

The Role Models are a band who are also not afraid to display a bit of fighting spirit. This is clearly shown by “Let’s Get Started” and ” (Where They) Half Know My Name” which have more of a punk rock grit which will appeal to fans of bands like The Loyalties.

On the whole though, this album is just chock full of glam punk (Glunk) classics like “Nowhere” and “Reality Holiday”. They are the sort of songs that have you dreaming of driving down the freeway, with the top down, on a hot, sunny day. The lyrics are sung with a snarl but really that’s hiding a great sugar coated, power pop melody.

On the final track, they also brings back the good old tradition of a cool rock ballad. “Leave Tonight” has a broken vocals approach, a la Michael Monroe, and is clearly a lighters in the air moment (although, sadly, these days it’s more likely to be mobile phones!!).

Put simply, this is a great rock n roll record. It’s not ground breaking or genre defining and they won’t be the ‘new Radiohead’ and wont be gracing the front pages of the NME (or, sadly, these days at least, Kerrang!). However, if you enjoy punk rock n roll with a touch of glamour and a ton of great tunes then this is the album for you. We’re always being told that rock n roll is dying out, so it’s great to see a band like the Role Models doing all they can to keep it alive.