The Speakeasy

After recently whetting the collective appetite of their ever expanding fan-base with the release of a new single, Smoke Or Fire just put the finishing touches on the promised follow up full-length. Titled The Speakeasy, the album is undoubtedly the band s piece de résistance. Every Element of The Speakeasy suggests that Smoke Or Fire have finally realized their potential. The Speakeasy is a complete album in the truest sense, lacking nothing, while offering varied, yet equally enthralling melodies and music on each of the 13 tracks. Constructed around the cornerstone of the guitar driven, heavy punk sound they are known for, this album evolves much further. Innovative melodies are ushered along by clever guitar work as gruff vocals give way at times to a more polished pitch. Joe (singer/guitarist) finds a way to throttle his vocals to the brink of what is humanly possible, yet still maintains the key, infusing a palatable passion into the music. From the jumpy cadence of ‘1968’, to the anthemic sound of ‘Integrity’ to folk based ‘Honey I Was Right About the War’, The Speakeasy maintains high energy throughout, while displaying a range of songwriting mastery. Add to this the fact that Smoke Or Fire brought in a new rhythm section featuring Ryan Parrish (Darkest Hour) on drums and Gwomper (Avail) on bass, along with enlisting the production talents of Matt Allison (Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms), and it’s not surprising that The Speakeasy turned out to be an album that will dominate playlists for a long time to come.