Album Review: The Forty Nineteens – New Roaring Twenties
If you’re in the mood for unassuming, rocking, silly and un-self-conscious rock ‘n’ roll, The Forty Nineteens might have just the thing for you. This California quintet swims in the Smithereens end of the pool, with hard-charging songs that keep the melodic quotient high. The band’s rockabilly character is kept hidden on the winning opener “It’s for Fun (That’s All We’re Living For),” but stick around and you’ll find it in ample supply.
And the band’s garage-rock bonafides are stellar as well, thanks to the participation of The Standells’ Tony Valentino. The song itself is a bit ordinary, and Valentino’s participation is, um, odd, but it’s nonstop fun. And that dissonant guitar break is a welcome surprise.
Some of the songs “We’re Going to Las Vegas,” “Go Little GTO”) veer into overly-derivative territory, but adjust your expectations only slightly and they’re still quite enjoyable.
The production aesthetic is spot-on here: no reverb, no production filigrees. The overall vibe suggests that were you to hear these guys play live, it’d sound just like this, only A. Lot. Louder. My guess is that as enjoyable as The Forty Nineteens are on disc, they’re probably best experienced live on stage.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.