Posted on: December 5, 2008 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Joey Cape is certainly not suffering for lack of musical outlets. As the front man for Lagwagon, he also bounces between Bad Astronaut, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Afterburner and The Playing Favorites. You can now add solo artist to his every-expanding resume. Though he had a split record with No Use For a Name singer Tony Sly a few years ago, “Bridge” is Cape’s first full length solo record.

Despite the fact that five of the songs on “Bridge” have already appeared on Lagwagon’s recently- released E.P. (“I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon”), the sound is much closer to Cape’s work in Bad Astronaut than his full time band. His stark delivery has the same effect as Springsteen playing “Born in the USA” slowed down, on an acoustic guitar. The lyrics are the same, but the meaning of the songs are put in a much different light.

Anchored with a stripped down sound, Cape relies on little more than an acoustic guitar to accompany his vocals on all but one or two tracks. The result may be startling at first to Suburban skate punks who grew up on Lagwagon’s pop/punk sound, but the songs are quick to attract, sounding remarkably familiar by the second listen. With a slew of other commitments in front of Cape, “Bridge” will hopefully not be his last solo project.

Top Tracks: “We’re Not in Love Anymore,” “Canoe,” “The Ramones are Dead”

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Joey Cape – Bridge (CD) 2008/Suburban Home Records/12 tracks

www.myspace.com/joeycape

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