Early last year saw the critical success of Walking Wounded – an aptly titled album that recorded the long and trying journey of this Long Island punk outfit through personal tragedy, following the untimely death of drummer John “Beatz” Holohan in a car accident. The band managed to work out their grief through their music, resulting in some of their strongest and most personal work. This year with Shudder, it's apparent Bayside has passed through the pain and returned to the basics with the heroic, roof-raising punk anthems that first put them on the map eight years ago.

By Gregory S. Burkart

“We really just wanted to make a record that would bring us back to our roots,” said singer/guitarist Anthony Raneri. “I tried to take the knowledge of songwriting that I have now and blend it with the raw energy and intuitions I wrote with when I was 17.” The result is a collision of raw, dirty punk and an incisive, often poetic lyrical style. You'd think that would be an oil-and-water combination, but in these guys' hands it's a potent cocktail with plenty of kick.

Uprooting themselves from Long Island, the band did most of their songwriting on the road while touring, and finally opted for the West Coast when it came time to lay down their tracks. They recorded over six weeks in Santa Monica's Red Bull Studios, with Johnny Cash's former producer Dave Schiffman at the mixing board; the production style is clean, no-nonsense and remarkably intimate in a garage-y sort of way.

Vocal harmonies led by Raneri's high, boyishly charming voice – which, when combined with fellow vocalist/guitarist Jack O'Shea, reminds me of cult icons They Might Be Giants – made me realize that it's the naïve charm in that voice, resting comfortably atop the furiously grinding guitars, that gets these tunes stuck in my head for so long. I know that's a very un-punk thing to say... but don't worry, I had my boots off at the time.

I'm not as heavily drawn toward post-Green Day pop punk sensibilities, so I probably didn't get as much out of the first single “No One Understands,” which is just too lightweight for my taste. But I think it's on more intense tracks like “I Can't Go On” and “Have Fun Storming the Castle” (nice one, fellow Princess Bride fans) that the boys really show their teeth, both in terms of layered, intricate instrumentation and lyrical skills.

Also of note is “Howard,” a clever homage to Howard Hughes that depicts the reclusive billionaire as some kind of proto-emo icon (just go with it) and the low-tempo “I Think I'll Be OK” blends seriously infectious riffs with massive, overdriven power chords. The album closes on a quaint note with the old-fashioned barroom sing-a-long “Moceanu,” which features one of my all-time favorite lyrics: “I liked reality better when it was a dream.” It's a sweet & sour twist chaser to an album that itself marks a refreshing end to summer.

Shudder hits the streets on 9/30, but if you're craving a little taste o' the spoiler, you can preview tracks like “No One Understands” on their Myspace. If you like what you hear, be sure to check out their extensive tour schedule, which kicks off on October 7 and covers a pretty wide swath of the USA, with support from The Matches, Valencia and The Status.

If you can't make it to one of their shows, you can also get a whiff of their live vibe on companion CD Live at the Bayside Social Club, which just might have you and that freeloading best friend of yours piling into a car for a little road trip in search of their nearest gig.