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 HUDSON
FALCONS - La Famiglia (Street
Anthem Records) When I first asked to write a review for Askew
Reviews, I was somewhat worried about what they would send me. I could not
have been more pleasantly surprised when I opened that letter and received
the Hudson Falcons' newest CD La
Famiglia. I have been a Hudson Falcons fan for years, but for those of
you that are not, there is something you need to know. The Falcons are not
a great band. The Falcons are not great musicians. The Falcons do not
write the catchiest songs. The Falcons do not have the best singer. The
Falcons do, however, make the most heart-felt, working class punk-rock
there is. Singer/Songwriter Mark Linskey is a labor organizer; he knows
working class. This isn't rhetoric. This isn't the same old posing and
posturing that most 'street' punk bands exhibit. The Falcons have an
earnest and an honesty to them that most bands in this genre sorely lack,
and desperately wish they could brag about having. Check 'em out and
you'll agree. Now for those Falcons' fans expecting a new album of gritty,
honest rock n' roll style street punk, there is something you should know;
this is a decent enough album, but it's not like their other albums.
There’s some country here. There's some Springsteen here. There's even a
touch of Latin music (Hell, track 11 is called “Latin Knights”). And
on the whole they pull it off well. I do have one complaint though; Mark's
voice. Linskey is not the most versatile vocalist. As a singer in a punk
band his voice is fine, as an acoustic rock singer, it's terrific.
However, on several tracks (“One of the Boys,” “Cosa Nostra Rock n'
Roll,” etc.), I felt his voice lacked the range that could have made
this album great. Also, there must be something in the
Jersey
water, because Linskey sounds an awful lot like Bruce here. If you truly
love the Hudson Falcons, or just want to hear them flex their musical
muscles, buy this. If you just want another street punk album with good
lyrics, go buy a Riffs record. On the downside, the murky recording that
has always plagued their albums has returned here. - Marie Andy
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