U.G.L.Y. is a four-part rock band looking to take the world by storm with their upcoming album release on May 15th. The group is led by frontman, songwriter, and vocalist Jack Petit whose visionary style has led to the creation of a beautifully abstract album. Petit is joined by guitarist Marcus Simonini, bassist Jake Harris, and drummer Jon Costa whose musical expertise allows Petit’s wildest musical fantasies to come to life in incredible ways. Their debut album Goons Live Young is mind-blowing for three major reasons; it features an inventive and abstract style that adds life and color to the music, it showcases four incredibly talented musicians who are each allowed to shine, and best of all, it is still that headbanging, fist-pumping, hardcore rock and motherfucking roll that we all know and love.

Goons Live Young features a look into the musical mind of Jack Petit, and he lets you know within 15 seconds that you are in for a WILD ride. On their first track “Michael,” the group gives you no time to mentally prepare as a triple “ga-hyuck” sound drives into a hard rock blastoff, kicking the album into hyperdrive from the first moment. They then include an old voice clip on their second track “Space Heater” between the first verse and chorus. I typically shy away from including soundbites in the middle of a song, but U.G.L.Y. kept an enjoyable guitar melody underneath the clip and expertly transitioned in and out of it. This allowed the song to keep its flow, and thus didn’t feel forced into the song. Later in the album was, “Get Mad,” which began with a rallying chant that transitioned into some kickass guitars and got my blood pumping immediately. The track was even more creative rhythmically, as vocalist Jack Petit blissfully went back and forth between in-your-face, guttural singing and angelic melodies which floated on top of softer and fading guitars. The interplay of these two showed both Petit’s vocal abilities and his depth of musical innovation. The coup de gras of musical individuality came on track ten, “Honey, I 8 the Microwave” where they introduced a harmonica solo that melded with the rhythms of the guitar and drums; it blew my fucking mind. I never thought that I would listen to hard rock harmonica, let alone love it and want more as it faded away.

Petit invited listeners to his world of musical weirdness and showed me new ideas that I was not expecting but was more than welcome to. However, his musical expression would never have come to fruition if it hadn’t been for the talent and skill of him and his bandmates. They showcase their skill not only in their interplay, as the chemistry between vocals, melodies, and the beat is astounding, but also in their own unique ways, as each individual is given their chance to shine. Drummer Jon Costa knows exactly when to get loud and shine and also when to lay back and establish a rhythm for the other artists to play off of. Costa is able to set a plethora of different scenes, from the killer, headbanging, screaming feel of “If U Like Me” to the windows down and groovier sound of “OK! :).” Bassist Jake Harris joins him in creating a fuller sound and establishing a distinct and enjoyable groove in every song, and he shines through even more so on “Regret Juice.” In the first four seconds of the song, Harris plays a groovy bassline that serves as the main rhythm for Petit to sing over, which had me grooving in my seat for the entire song. Expertly interjecting into these rhythms are guitarist Marcus Simonini and Jack Petit’s vocals which work incredibly well both in their own right and in how they play off of each other. The way Simonini kicks off “Space Heater” with an electric solo that melds into the main rhythm of the song, as well as Petit’s rich and pitch-perfect voice, is utterly astounding. The two go back and forth on the whole album and put on a masterclass of technical ability and musical chemistry.

As incredible and important as the inventiveness and skill are to Goons Live Young’s success, what makes U.G.L.Y. 's album stand above all is that they never strayed from the kick-ass, headbanging, rock and roll music we all know and love. The album features rock and roll anthems like “Kill-Your-Local-Cat-Caller” and “Get Mad” which force you to pound your fists and bang your head as all great rock does. They are telling you that they are mad and angry in all of the best ways as Petit’s breadth of the vocal range extends from guttural and emotional screams to fitting smoothly on top of the other melodies. Additionally, Petit demonstrates his excellent songwriting abilities as the lyrics give an almost poetic meaning to the music. On the chorus of “Regret Juice,” the background fades to a lighter tone and Petit shines on top singing “Red wine’s not gonna drown your demons / it’s only gonna water them down / One day you’ll be the one to drown,” delivering a powerful lyric with impeccable tone and flow. Petit even dabbles with some powerful imagery as he starts “Chains Chains Chains” with the line “You’re like a deep slit in my wrist / I’m like a gun without a clip” demanding the listener’s attention right from the start. U.G.L.Y. find success in melding their creativity with the ass-kicking rock that we are always on the look for, as the two interplay throughout the album in perfect harmony.

All things told, U.G.L.Y. has burst onto the scene with a skillful and inventive musical masterpiece. From the rapid start of “Michael” to the drums and guitar transitioning from going absolutely ape-shit to playing a delicate background as Petit sends the album off repeatedly chanting “I’m Ok” this album does not disappoint. “Regret Juice” proved to be the standout track to me, though I have always been a sucker for a killer bassline, and the group shows a depth of musical talent with each and every song. Goons Live Young is a killer album and a beautifully abstract addition for rock fans and music lovers alike.

Give it a listen here:

U.G.L.Y.’s Goons Live Young: An Inventive and Skillful Hard Rock Masterpiece