Music Review: Blacktop Mourning - No Regret

Blacktop Mourning are fast becoming one of the success stories of Web 2.0.  Shortly after putting up a MySpace page in late 2005, the Chicagoland group had signed a deal with MTV, who put songs from their debut EP all over their reality shows.  So if you watch Meet The Barkers or The Hills, there's a good chance that you've already heard these songs at some point.  

It's not hard to hear why these songs attracted MTV.  Blacktop Mourning, whose first full-length CD, No Regret, comes out on Tuesday, play modern radio-friendly, angst-ridden pop-punk. 

Blacktop Mourning stand out from the rest of the pack of similarly-described bands for two reasons.  First is drummer Greg Gerard, who propels the songs with his clever beats and fills.  Second is Max Steger, the songwriter, lead guitarist and co-producer whose talent belies the fact that he is only 18 years old.  His coloring, using both acoustic and electric guitars, helps shape the best tracks here, like "Don't Defend," "My Only Heart," and "Another Day."  Steger also rips off some brief but fiery solos that give a glimpse into the prodigious talent that have impressed crowds in some of Chicago's top blues clubs. 

Blacktop Mourning are signed to Tyrannosaurus Records, the label formed by Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, who co-produced No Regret with Steger and fellow Crow David Immergluck.  Duritz also lends his voice to four of the 11 tracks.  Although the ballad "Hardly Recognize" wouldn't have sounded out of place on August And Everything After, Duritz deserves a lot of credit for branching out and finding bands that aren't clones of his own. 

Article Author: Dave Lifton

Dave Lifton is a writer whose take on pop culture can be found at Wings For Wheels. He also blogs about soccer at Booked For Dissent.

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