Brad Marino – False Alarm

Brad Marino doesn’t wander far from the sound he and Geoff Palmer established as The Connection with his new one entitled False Alarm. In a word or two, it’s Stones meets The Ramones with eight rockers, no one longer than 3:24.

The shout along chorus of “False Alarm” (the title track) makes it immediately appealing. It’s got that Rockpile quality to it – top down, play it loud. “At Night” moves almost as fast as The Ramones through an all you can eat buffet. “Should’ve Known” is another up-tempo, catchy number with a hooky chorus and some terrific harmonies to boot. While “False Alarm” catches your attention on first listen, “Should’ve Known” is sneaky good and may actually be my favorite on the record.

Not only are the new originals hot, but the two choices of covers are excellent, too. As a long time fan of Hoodoo Gurus, I was cautiously excited to hear Marino’s cover of “What’s My Scene”. I say cautiously because I am so often disappointed in covers of my favorites. But Marino acquits himself more than adequately with a rousing version that’s pretty true to the original. And you can’t go wrong with Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue Got Married”. 

Brad Marino’s False Alarm is available on Rum Bar Records. By the digital or vinyl at their Bandcamp page.