The Forty Nineteens - Rebooted

With their third full-length effort Rebooted, The Forty Nineteens once again conjure the party ambience of a band rocking out in a small club. Most of these high-energy songs clock in around the two-minute mark and feature infectious melodies and the exuberant vocals of lead singer-bassist John Pozza, guitarist Chuck Gorian, and drummer Nick Zeigler. With all the fun going on, it’s still evident that this Temecula, CA-based group brings a lot of craftsmanship to its music.

“Best Days” marks a couple’s wedding anniversary with lyrics about looking forward to another trip around the sun while “Disguised” is a classic power pop tune about the dangers of being in a relationship with someone you can’t trust. Kevin McCourt’s spirited farsifa organ playing fuels the vintage feel of “Wasn’t It You” and a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “I Walked With A Zombie.” Gorian adds some twangy guitar to the latter. McCourt’s honky tonk piano augments the driving beat of “True True True,” a song about celebrating each day as if it were your last, and the high-speed “Dance With Me” advocates shaking off your troubles on the dance floor.

“I’m Free,” a recent Little Steven’s Underground Garage selection for Coolest Song Of The Week, is about breaking away from a loveless relationship, and Pozza affects a spoken word delivery on the mysterious “Stranger On The Shore.” The muscle car tribute “383 Dodge Charger” is an affectionate ripoff of Jonathan Richman’s classic “Roadrunner,” and The Forty Nineteens acknowledge this by sliding into the “radio on!” chorus from Richman’s tune. There’s also a hint of The Monkees’ “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” on the satiric “Get Myself A Selfie,” but what’s the harm is borrowing a few riffs here and there when it’s all for a good time?