The Fastbacks have survived virtually every era of punk, somehow managing to sound fresh, interesting, and unfashionable every step of the way. Forming in 1979 in Seattle, they played early gigs with bands like DOA and The Lewd, and also opened for bigger touring bands like the Ramones. Pre-Guns ‘N Roses Duff McKagen was even their drummer for a little while in the 80s, a decade in which they released a handful of classic EPs and a couple records on PopLlama. They signed to Sub Pop at the height of the label’s power in the early 90s, releasing three more seminal full lengths and slough of more 7″s. The band finally called it quits in the early 2000s after one more LP on spinART. After they split, guitar player/principal songwriter/sometimes drummer Kurt Bloch continued working with the Young Fresh Fellows, as well as his many other side projects. Bassist/singer Kim Warnick joined Visqueen, and then moved to Maine, quitting music altogether. 2011 and 2018 saw one-off reunion shows in Seattle, and the band’s label No Threes has been trickling out vinyl comps of their old EPs and B sides (most of which are still available from their Bandcamp page, and all of which are essential). Songs spanning their career like “In America”, “Gone to the Moon”, “On the Wall”, “Just Say”, “Goodbye Bird”, “Impatience”, “In the Winter”, and countless others are timeless bangers I’ve listened to hundreds of times.
I’d been more familiar with their earlier records, but I recently listened to an interview with Tony Molina where he said not only were the Fastbacks his favorite band, but that his favorite album was 1999’s The Day That Didn’t Exist. I went back and listened to it again, and damned if he didn’t have a strong case. I also went and picked up a copy of 1996’s New Mansions in Sound and was equally blown away. Working my way backward through their catalog, I came to the conclusion that the Fastbacks just kept getting better with each release. This pattern arguably continues with their first new full length in 25 years, For What Reason!.
Reunion albums don’t have a great reputation, but the past 10-15 years have seen some truly remarkable success stories in bands putting out some of their best material post-reuniting. Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk, Quicksand, Hot Snakes, and Lifetime to name a few. The Fastbacks are definitely at the top of the list now as well. The original three of Kurt, Lulu, and Kim are all here, as well as who I consider to be the quintessential FB drummer (there have been many) Mike Musberger. Original line up reunions are the best. Kurt Bloch is possibly the best punk rock guitarist of all time. Nobody can rip a solo that doesn’t ruin a song like he can. It’s great to hear him plying his trade with his old bandmates again.
for WHAT reason! opens with a classic Kurt Bloch lead on “The End of the Day”, and before long Kim and Lulu have you hooked in what is an instant Greatest Hits Fastbacks song. This is followed up by the Kim penned “Come On”, which has a bit of power pop feel to it, but equally catchy and also makes it onto the Greatest Hits. A cover of The Seekers 1966 “I’ll Never Find Another You” comes next. To know the Fastbacks is to know the true art of faithfully covering an obscure 60s classic, while also making it unmistakenly their own. Nobody does it better. Reading the comments on the Bandcamp page, this is mentioned as a lot of people’s favorite track on the album.
This perfect run to start the record continues with my personal favorite “Nothing To Do”, which has everything that makes a proper Fastbacks banger so special. Hooks, harmonies, instantly memorable, but also a GREAT bridge. No one writes a better bridge than our man Kurt Bloch. He has such a musically prolific embarrassment of riches that he can afford to use up a perfect little riff or lead one time in the middle of a song, rather than taking that immense quality and framing an entirely new song out it. There are truly no bad tracks on here. Another notable favorite is the album closer, “The World Inside”, showcasing that the Fastbacks are capable of writing not only perfect two minute bangers, but also seven minute ballads of equal quality. The initial run of these have sold out, but keep an eye on their Bandcamp page as they plan on repressing more. While you’re there, grab a copy of literally anything else that’s still available. There is no bad starting point if you’re just looking to begin your Fastbacks journey, including for WHAT reason!
–Zack Akenson
