We’ve all seen bands who put out great releases but don’t get the attention they deserve and, with an excellent debut album and two solid EPs behind them, Chicago’s Lights Over Bridgeport certainly fit into that category. However their latest EP, ‘Prayers & Eulogies’, could well be their turning point. This is four tracks of melodic punk-rock in the vein of old school Audio Karate, FenixTX, and The Swellers and it’s loaded with quality.
The title track opens the EP with some gusto. You’ve got a quick beat matched with powerful guitar riffs and it’s all brought together well with John Hamlin’s distinctive vocals. From there you roll into ‘Automatic’ with its poppy intro and a soaring almost life-affirming chorus. The fact that Lights Over Bridgeport go and better that chorus with ‘Still Gold’ first and then smash it out of the park with ‘Horchata’ really highlights how strong their vocal melodies can be. The ‘Goodnight and goodbye my love, we’ll be alright’ line in the later feels epic and a fitting end to the EP. Lyrically the band sings of hope, friendship, and love and whilst these aren’t uncommon topics there’s a real sincerity to the delivery.
With Nick Diener, vocalist for the previously mentioned The Swellers, producing the EP the comparisons between the two bands can be heard throughout. It’s that fine balance between writing catchy, accessible tracks and maintaining that punk-rock vibe that both do so well. My only complaint here is that, once hooked, four tracks seems desperately short but this is solved quickly by just hitting the repeat button and enjoying it all over again.
Lights Over Bridgeport are a band that you need to hear and ‘Prayers & Eulogies’ is an excellent starting point.
TOM BECK