When you’re born from punk rock royalty, expectations can be high. Front man Travis Shettel, formerly of Piebald, wants to shrug them off with his new band, TS and the Past Haunts.
Their debut full-length album, “Gone and Goner,” released Tuesday through Huntington Beach’s No Sleep Records, has the power rock trio from Los Angeles aiming to make a splash in a Southern California music scene.
The opening track, “East Jesus,” begins with droning guitar hammer-ons, and then rips into a heavy riff that recalls the best of the Black Keys.
“Gone and Goner,” full of huge guitar tones, reverb and fuzz, isn’t a far departure from the band’s “Caveman Rock EP,” released in 2011.
Shettel’s vocals on “Let’s Be Lazy,” and “Circumstance,” two of the album’s stronger tracks, recall late ‘60s power rock, but with a faster, punk-influenced twist.
“The 33” and “Patience Is Waiting” feature, clean guitar riffs saturated in reverb, complimented with quick changes of pace backed by drummer Ben Heywood’s punk-style drums.
“Gone and Goner” rocks from start to finish, ending abruptly with the surf-rock anthem “Citrus Mistress,” full of odd twists and turns, taking you from fast and heavy verses to an almost psychedelic experience in the stretched and droning chorus.
The band hits the road this month on a short tour of the Southwest, beginning tonight at the Silver Lake Lounge in L.A.
“Gone and Goner” is available on iTunes or through No Sleep Record’s website, nosleeprecs.com.
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