Misadventures in Punk RockIreland Records **

Drogheda trio Valentino Is Dead are “driven by a desire to shout about the fucked up state of things”, according to the press release that accompanies Misadventures in Punk Rock. It’s a shame that such spleen has been vented so tamely on their debut. For starters, these songs are more power-pop than punk rock, treading the same line as US bands such as Bowling for Soup and New Found Glory. Imitation is understandable to a point, but the awful, dated, 1980s hair- metal chug of Homage to Hybris and Up Your Anti is

not, nor are Keith Smith’s sloganeering lyrics and simulated snarl. The result is an album that sounds pieced together from a Punk for Dummies handbook, well- intentioned but, sadly, delusional. valentinoisdead. com

Download tracks:Girl That Never, Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down