Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel, the punk band Not On Tour have released their latest offering, Growing Pains, on SBÄM Records. It has been a four year wait, but it was worth it. The seventeen-song album is a collection of female-fronted punk songs, not a single one of which clocks in at more than two minutes. And it works. That’s all this band needs to get their message across, and are a perfect choice for fans of bands such as Bad Cop/Bad Cop, The Distillers, Be Your Own Pet, and Tilt.
Sima’s vocals really stand out – her voice is more melodic than on previous offerings from the band, but it’s definitely not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a very good thing because this girl can sing – and she doesn’t lose any of the raw passion that is on display in their earlier albums while doing so.
Most of the songs have a California in the mid-90’s punk feel, though that doesn’t remotely mean they are a nostalgia-type act, as each song is fresh and new at the same time. It’s just hard to compare them to other bands that are playing now, and that’s a good thing. Sometimes being reminded of the past, with something that stands on its own two feet as well can be refreshing. Not On Tour is absolutely a breath of fresh air in the punk scene and one of the better bands that is regularly releasing records these days.
The album kicks off with the fast, hardcore skate punk sounding “Daddy”, which is 48 seconds of pure energy followed by the slightly longer “Fantasy World” (1:09). Each song on the album is instantly catchy and something you want to listen to over and over, because Not on Tour are masters of the art of leaving you wanting more.
Stand-out songs include the title track, “Growing Pains,” as well as the interestingly timed “N.O.T. Funny.” Though in all honesty, there’s not a bad song on the album, which is an achievement for the amount of songs on it.
You can check out and download the album below.
5/5 stars