Sometimes I feel as though I live under a rock, until today I had NO IDEA that THE CONNECTION hail from these parts…Portsmouth, NH to be exact, home of the Elvis Room (RIP) and the original (better) FRIENDLY TOAST. I became aware of these guys when they released a split with Portland, Oregon’s THE CRY but I somehow missed the New Hampshire thing. I’ll admit that this album is a bit more polished than what I usually listen to, but there are some great songs here. This band clearly has a vast understanding of what rock n roll is, in every shape and size. A lot of power pop influence here but their sound doesn’t stop there. “Crawling From the Wreckage (of a Saturday Night)” wins, that clever little guitar line is totally burned into my brain right now, this feels like the ROLLING STONES vs the BEAT. All in all this album feels like the soundtrack to a cheesy teen movie from yesteryear, in the best way possible. Sold? Be sure to catch them this Friday at the Plough and Stars for their Boston area record release show!