Build & Burn

The Loved Ones could never be accused of being insincere, and you'd be even harder-pressed to make such a claim after listening to Build & Burn, the band's sophomore release for Fat Wreck Chords. An honest desperation careens through every note and nook of the record, ensuring that even the predictable and slightly derivative nature of its songs doesn't take away from how enjoyable the album is. Sure, almost anyone could play the uncomplicated chord progressions and straightforward melodies well, but only a select few could do it with as much heart as these Philly punks; the end result is a set of unforgivingly catchy songs that won't get out of your head even when you want them to (see "Sarah's Game" or "I Swear"). Build & Burn is an album about survival, a message that rings loudly through the Loved Ones' stomping rhythms, throaty vocals, and ringing chords, not to mention the occasional piano tinkering and Southern-charmed flavoring. So whether it's in cuts like the churning "Pretty Good Year" or the musingly acoustic "Brittle Heart," the group performs with the underdog spirit of that kid perpetually knocked down on the playground who never fails to get back up again. Ten songs in just 30 minutes, Build & Burn is a quick listen in which the Loved Ones — with a little help from their friends in the Hold Steady and Bouncing Souls, among others — stick to what they do best, and produce a solid album of passionate pop-punk.