Into The Night by The Jack Knives is an 11-track melodic punk album that works with thrashy, lifelike guitars, nostalgic vocals, emotional storytelling, and an overall speedy energy. Track to track, this album has a lot of songs to belt out to on a summer drive. What this album does well is that it takes nostalgic sounds and modernizes them with more recent influences. Its headbanging bounce and catchiness make it the perfect place to find bangers to bring into the Summer.
At just over 40 minutes, this album paces itself well to keep things interesting. The running musical and lyrical themes tie things together, but there’s an up-and-down flow in energy. The aforementioned melody makes it easy to focus on as things move forward, and lyrics follow themes such as love, hurt, struggles, and hope as they capture a rounded view of the human experience. On the other hand, dynamic use of vocal tone, guitar filtering, and tempo gives the diversity needed to keep things interesting.
Into The Night starts with the high-octane tracks “Heartbreak Queen,” Punk Rock Heart,” and “Limelight.” These tracks establish the quick guitars, growly vocals, and an energetic blend of drums and bass leads. As tracks that start an album, they seem to be tied together to provide beltable tracks meant to hook listeners in.
Then there are tracks “Hey Love” and “Lovers Who Fell.” “Hey Love” pulls back the energy quite a bit for a more moderate tempo, the guitars and vocals taking on a smoother sound. This track does well at establishing a softer sound in the tracklist, and it gets into a narrative of connection and love with another. This provides a nice contrast to the themes of heartbreak that show up throughout the album. “You and me we ain’t so lonesome tonight,” the hook goes. “The Lovers Who Fell” then explores the aftereffects of a relationship, with the narrator wishing for the other party’s safety. This track starts with less distortion and energy, but it slowly introduces more power and speed as it moves forward.
“Empty Grave” then introduces some reverby bright guitar that adds some indie atmosphere to the discography. There’s an instrumental with a focus on the guitar that starts around 2:30, and this works with a lot of intricacies for a lifelike bridge. This track dashes in hope, sharing the story of someone finding their own way, expressing to a seeming past lover that everything will be okay, and to not worry. The lyric, “It takes two broken hearts but now you’re free,” helps paint a picture of letting go and moving forward with one’s own life.
After this comes “Kill Me First” and “New York City.” “Kill Me First” turns up the punk punchiness, and it builds into a highlight to be listened to. There’s a raw emotion in how the vocals are belted out, and every part of the instrumentation and vocals matches a rush forward in energy. This track seems to get into the tale of reconnection and second chances, the main voice of the album noticing a former lover and wanting to get back with them. The hook of this track is another great one, “Kill me now / I’ll haunt you forever.” Then “New York City,” which uses the percussion and bass to keep the pacing while pulling back the speed of the guitars and vocals.
There’s honestly just so much great to be said about this album, as each track finds its own way to shine. “Outlaw Skies” and “Dancing in the Dark” are no different with their lyrical depth, powerful vocals, and quick tempo in the instrumentation. Everything wraps up with the calming folk and country-influenced “The Passenger Side (Heartbreak Queen Reprise)” featuring Rudy Nuño. This track continues the narrative that the opener starts with, one of a girl skipping town to chase dreams. However, this gets into the aftermath of those dreams falling apart. Using this story at the beginning and end as a before and after is utilized well as bookends to the overarching narrative.
The Jack Knives is an Orange County, California-based punk band that uses contemporary sounds to develop a fresh spin on the punk rock genre. This four-piece consists of Si Short (lead vocalist, guitarist), Drew Baker (drummer, vocalist, percussion), Faris Muhtaseb (lead guitarist), and Bryan Lee (bass guitarist). Their emotional explorations, captivating melodies, and intricate instrumentation have pulled in international audiences. Into the Night was produced by Pete Steinkopf from The Bouncing Souls at Little Eden Studios in Asbury Park, New Jersey. This album is for anyone who grew up in the punk scene and wants something new to listen to, but it’s also a good way for new listeners to start enjoying the genre.
Written by Sage Plapp
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