Von Bondies, The
Love, Hate, and Then There's You
The Von Bondies have suffered their share of misfortune while pushing their brand of infectiously crunchy, pseudo-garage rock in the earlier part of this decade. On the verge of a commercial breakthrough with their 2004 set Pawn Shoppe Heart, the Von Bondies became known as the band whose lead singer got the shit beat out of him by one Jack White. While the altercation served to enhance White’s mystique, the Von Bondies didn’t quite gain the exposure that they could have/should have received. Five years (and several personnel changes) later, the Von Bondies return with Love, Hate, and Then There’s You hoping that half a decade’s time has cleared the public’s conscious so that music fans could finally judge their signature spiky pop by its own merits.
The Von Bondies must believe that their music was primed for success before singer/guitarist Jason Stollsteimer’s rather humiliating thrashing, that it was just a matter of letting the dust of the whole Jack White situation settle before re-entering the musical marketplace. The formula – sing-along melodies, driving drumbeats, controlled yet punky guitars – is left virtually unchanged, and they don’t sound like they have evolved much since their last release. This approach serves the Von Bondies circa 2009 well however: they deserve a chance at earning the recognition that had unfairly eluded them. Enlisting the services of super-producer Butch Walker, the band has recorded an album that certainly isn’t groundbreaking but is very exemplary of its sound. Walker’s history of producing more M.O.R. rock acts (Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan) suits the record well, as he knows when to let the band sound reckless enough to be edgy and polished enough to be palatable. The bittersweet stomp of ‘Accidents Will Happen,’ the melodic yet defiant menace of ‘Pale Bride,’ and the constant crescendo of closer ‘Modern Saints’ are all fine moments that count among the best in the band’s catalog. Love, Hate, and Then There’s You may not be a sign of the band’s growth, but it succeeds in capturing what the Von Bondies are and have been best at.
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