Expanding beyond the title track of last year’s EP of the same name, SKATERS’ sophomore LP “Rock and Roll Bye Bye” sees the New York City rockers elevating their sound past the melodic indie-pop-punk fusion of their debut. Whereas their 2014 debut, titled “Manhattan”, saw the band attempting to fit the mold of typical New York indie rockers, their sophomore effort explores new ground.
The band incorporates elements of Britpop and ‘80s dance rock to complement their ‘90s indie alternative sensibilities. “Rock and Roll Bye Bye” is as much influenced by Pavement and the Pixies as it is Blur and Big Audio Dynamite.
Beginning slowly with a reverb-drenched beeping reminiscent of the start of a Mario Kart race, opening track “Just Like Your Mother” mutates from droning ballad into fast-paced indie punk race to the finish line. The jarring shift serves as a preview of what’s to come. Immediately following this is “Northern Soul,” a jangly, upbeat number that’d be right at home on a Primal Scream record.
It’s clear from the opening tracks that the band has developed a willingness to try something new. This point is compounded by a brief instrumental interlude as the third track, cheekily titled “Clip Art Link 1 Bubbles,” that ends with - you guessed it - the sound of something bubbling cartoonishly.
Whereas their debut “Manhattan” was a record explicitly dealing with living in New York City, “Rock and Roll Bye Bye” sees the band exploring beyond their New York City bubble. This record finds them questioning their place in the ever expanding landscape of modern alternative music and its never-ending, revolving door of success, failure, and obscurity. Lead single and standout track “Head on to Nowhere” is emblematic of this notion. It’s an upbeat track tinged with a sense of melancholy. On it, frontman Michael Ian Cummings muses about the possibilities that wait while heading nowhere in particular. It’s effective in its simplicity, eliciting a sense of hope and optimism in the face of an existential crisis.
