Photo of Ultrabomb by Greg Norton
It’s a good weekend to be a Hüsker Dü fan: not only is guitarist Bob Mould’s ‘90s band Sugar playing their first shows in 30 years in New York City this weekend, but HD bassist (and owner of punk rock’s finest mustache) Greg Norton’s supergroup Ultrabomb are also dropping their third album today. Initially formed as an excuse for a trio of punk lifers—Norton, U.K. Subs drummer Jamie Oliver, and singer-guitarist Finny McConnell of the Candian Celt-punk band The Mahones—to blast through some covers before moving on to writing and recording originals, Ultrabomb’s first two albums (2022’s Time to Burn, 2024’s Dying to Smile) offered up ragged, rapid-fire Brit-punk in the spirit of Leatherface.
Norton returns for album #3 with a different lineup in the form of former Agent Orange and Social Distortion drummer Derek O’Brien and Soul Asylum lead guitarist Ryan Smith on guitar and lead vocals. The different lineup means a different sound as well, like a blend of SoCal pop-punk and Japandroids’ brand of shoutalong emo. Where earlier Ultrabomb albums sounded pleasantly rough around the edges, this one sounds clean and precise, yet still freewheeling enough to sound exciting and not stale. After taking most of the ‘90s and ‘00s off, it’s great to hear Norton’s complex, always eccentric bass bobbing along again, while O’Brien gives the songs enough propulsion to achieve liftoff every time. Though Smith is no unseasoned newcomer (he’s been in Soul Asylum for a full decade at this point), he was born well after Norton and O’Brien started their careers, and that youthful exuberance really gives this new album a fresh kick, from his incisive, clean rhythm playing to his jabs of expertly deployed leads.
Smith’s voice also contrasts to McConnell’s Pogues-inspired vocals on previous Ultrabomb releases, sounding a little snotty at times and quite a bit like his Soul Asylum bandmate Dave Pirner at others. “Artificial Stars” is an early album highlight, a song that lurches from soaring to stutter-steps like a long-lost Braid or Hey Mercedes song. “Checked Out,” too, excels in a “Somebody to Shove” sort of way with a wiry guitar riff over the verses that clears away for an anthemic singalong chorus. (Smith really outdoes himself on the solo on that one, too.)
One detriment worth noting is that, while I haven’t spent a ton of time dissecting them, the lyrics seem largely inscrutable—who, exactly, are the “Zombie Zeroes”? Who is being crucified in “Mosquito Crucifixion”? Who knows! The lyrics seem to be chosen more for mood and sound than meaning, though fortunately the music is so strong, so immediate, that it doesn’t detract from one’s enjoyment. The one exception, though, is “BSS” (short for “Bull Shit Song”), a profanity-laced aside with Smith and Norton trading dopey lines backed by a punky polka beat and even some accordion that probably could have been left on the cutting room floor. But that’s less than two minutes of silliness before the band blasts through the funky strut and doo-doo-doo chirps of “Last Time” and the garage-y swagger of “Mosquito Crucifixion” to close out the album
On balance, The Bridges That We Burn is a blast. Ultrabomb has such fire and energy that you’d never suspect the lengthy résumés of its members if you hadn’t spied the pic up top or read the first couple paragraphs of this review. If punk rock keeps you young, Ultrabomb makes it look like they’re gonna live forever. | Jason Green
