South Jersey and Philly bands have long had a contrarian streak of playing music with no obvious allegiance to current fads or trends. The unfortunate mid-to-late ‘80s aside – a time when the region was deeply in the throes of hair metal – groups from Philly and the nearby Camden, NJ area have focused more on simply writing great songs, genres be damned, and creating intimate tight music scenes as a result. The Gloucester City, NJ-based four-piece, The Warhawks are no different. On their debut LP, Never Felt So Good, the band charges through a mix of strong influences, from Bouncing Souls-worthy punk on “Don’t Give a Fuck,” to jangle pop on “Nothing to Do,” and ‘90s college radio rock on “Change.” The band confidently and seamlessly slips in and out of musical styles throughout.
The only weak track here is the album opener “Not a Problem,” a decent, but somewhat generic hard rocker that only stands out in comparison to how satisfying the rest of the album comes off.
The Warhawks – Never Felt So Good/Self-Released/2019 / Bandcamp /