RECOMMENDED
Yet another record-release show this week from a local band, the Caterer brothers and their Smoking Popes offer “Stay Down,” the band’s first record since its reformation and first album of all new, original material since the classic 1997 record “Destination Failure.” The result? “Stay Down” sounds like the natural follow-up to “Destination Failure,” as if it could’ve come out in 1999 and fans would’ve gulped it up with a much-warranted passion. To hear Josh Caterer’s lounge-lizard-like vocal delivery over these pop-punk power chords once again is warming—not to sound too cheesy, but the kid-like joy I felt while hearing the new tracks was overwhelming. Songs like “If You Don’t Care” and “Grab Your Heart and Run” could soundtrack the entire summer—no, “Stay Down” isn’t quite “Get Fired,” “Born to Quit” or “Destination Failure,” much like “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” can’t stand next to the first three “Indiana Jones” films, but shit, Smoking Popes are back and we should all pause and be ecstatic about it. Cool? Cool. (Tom Lynch)
Saturday, June 7 at Metro