Dark Thoughts Highway to the End LP
Six years after their last record, Philadelphia’s DARK THOUGHTS have reemerged as dialed-in as ever on this brand new slab. The tunes are tight and concise, never overstaying their welcome and always getting the point across within their brief duration. Applying the poppy and speedy formula of classic SCREECHING WEASEL and RAMONES to maximum effect, the songs hit hard with relatability, realism, and hope. They’re what I wished every band sounded like when I was sixteen. “Please Don’t Be Lonesome” is the perfect reassuring follow-up to the previous album’s heartbreaking “With You,” with which I positively tortured myself at the time of its release. Or is “Sweet Success” the real happy ending? Either way, I’m glad the story isn’t over.