December 7, 2009 9:15 am
The Ambulars“Summer of the Ambulars”(Self-Released)(*****/5)Taking on the powerpop stylings of genre stalwarts like The Promise Ring and the Get Up Kids, DC’s The Ambulars are a newish band putting their stamp in a world filled with neon shirts, shitty tattoos and annoying, overproduced records.Their full-band EP, “Summer of the Ambulars” is refreshing inasmuch as it acts as a snapshot of a simpler time; a time when there were Krazy Fests instead of Bamboozle and going to Warped Tour didn’t cost $50.The opening of the first track, “The Rains” starts with a two-track run through of the chorus before the band comes in together. The song also has one of the better lyrics with the line “When it all seems to go to hell/Maybe I will see you there.” It’s just asking to be written on some poor bastard’s mixtape.From there, the rest of the EP gets better with songs like “Northern” and “Bookmarked.” There are also some great male/female vocal interplays in the songs, which makes The Ambulars far more unique than newbie bands that are tearing up Paramore’s table scraps. The Ambulars Myspace— Ryan Pangilinan

The Ambulars
“Summer of the Ambulars”
(Self-Released)

(*****/5)

Taking on the powerpop stylings of genre stalwarts like The Promise Ring and the Get Up Kids, DC’s The Ambulars are a newish band putting their stamp in a world filled with neon shirts, shitty tattoos and annoying, overproduced records.

Their full-band EP, “Summer of the Ambulars” is refreshing inasmuch as it acts as a snapshot of a simpler time; a time when there were Krazy Fests instead of Bamboozle and going to Warped Tour didn’t cost $50.

The opening of the first track, “The Rains” starts with a two-track run through of the chorus before the band comes in together. The song also has one of the better lyrics with the line “When it all seems to go to hell/Maybe I will see you there.” It’s just asking to be written on some poor bastard’s mixtape.

From there, the rest of the EP gets better with songs like “Northern” and “Bookmarked.” There are also some great male/female vocal interplays in the songs, which makes The Ambulars far more unique than newbie bands that are tearing up Paramore’s table scraps.


The Ambulars Myspace

— Ryan Pangilinan