The New Old – Ain’t Dead Yet (Album Review)

Ain’t Dead Yet is the second album from Detroit band The New Old. The band has been reviewed and praised by A&R Factories and Classic Rock Magazine, two respectable publications. That being said, I’m expecting a lot from The New Old, so let’s get into it!

From the first song, “Vampyre X”, you get a feeling about what the album is all about. The band promotes themselves as trying to get back to the roots of rock and roll, as “rock has lost its roll”, according to them. That attitude is essentially what you’re getting in Ain’t Dead Yet. “Vampyre X” starts off with a catchy (albeit generic) riff that really pumps you up. It’s the kind of music that you would want to listen while you’re playing billiards at the local bar.

For the most part, what you’re getting out of this album is fun, old-school rock “n” roll. I’ll point out a few examples.

“Saddle It Up” is a bit of a bluesy song, kind of reminding me of the Rolling Stones. I also think the vocal effects (which are present through much of this album) was very fitting for this kind of song. “Catfight” might be my favorite off the record. Sure, it’s a pretty derivative tune, but the energy the band brings just overpowers it. “Do What I Wanna Do” is pretty damn catchy, although it does remind me a lot of Foghat’s “Slow Ride”. “Electric” is definitely a more modern song, especially regarding production, making it the most unique track on the record.

I also want to mention how great the guitar work is on nearly every single song. The riffs, even though they may be generic at times (we’ll get into that later), really bring the life and energy that makes this album enjoyable and fun to listen to. At least in this aspect, the band did not miss.

However, there are some things about the album that do need to be brought to attention.

As I have to alluded to a few times already, most of this album feels generic and derivative. Now, I understand what the band is going for with their sound, trying to get to the core of what it means to rock and roll. However, if you know me, you know that I value originality and creativity more than most things, regardless of genre.

It pains me to say that there isn’t anything on this album that I haven’t heard before, with “Electric” being the most original sounding song. I’m not saying that the wheel needs to be re-invented, but I am asking to come up with something that isn’t what musicians were playing 50 years ago and who did it better. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Rolling Stones and my AC/DC, but I’d honestly rather listen to them than anything on Ain’t Dead Yet.

There were also a few songs that I didn’t care for.

I can appreciate that “Pussywhipped Girl” tries to incorporate some early punk elements, but it comes off a little tacky, especially with the subject matter of the song. That being said, if we’re talking about lesbian anthems, I’d rather hear this than Billie Eilish’s “Lunch”. “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)” does something similar, but ended up sounding more like AC/DC than anything, a boring version at that. Even the title is something that I would expect to see on the tracklist of an AC/DC album. “Dandelion” might be the most boring song on the record. The chorus is quite awful, along with the unnecessary moaning, especially when the harmonica could’ve been used to convey in a more creative and less grotesque manner.

Finally, I want to speak on the vocals, which consisted of a male and female singer, with both taking turns in nearly each song. I don’t have the names of the singers, so apologies on my part, but I will say that the female singer was quite nice. However, the male singer was a bit iffy at times, but he did have his good moments.

SCORE/Good: Despite some of the harsh criticism, I still believe that Ain’t Dead Yet is a fun listen. I am tough, however, because I want the band to understand something. If you guys want to keep making music in this manner, you are very free to do so. However, if you want to grow and gain an audience, then some work needs to be done. The goal of going back to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll is a noble one, but nostalgia glasses can only take you so far. I sympathize with you guys when you criticize how soulless rock music is nowadays. However, it’s not a dichotomy, it’s not just classic rock ‘n’ roll and effeminate rock music (ahem Imagine Dragons), you do have other avenues to explore within the genre. However, as I said earlier, if this style is truly what your heart desires, then I’ll respect it.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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