By Josh Rose
Punk music and acoustic guitar has never been a good combination in my mind but Greg Rekus’s latest album Punkoustic has proven otherwise. The Winnipeg-born singer’s music manages to bring together the two genres into a sound that has the fast, hard vocals of punk and the full, rich sound of acoustic instruments, which appeals to a more general audience than traditional punk music but does not suffer for it. Rekus’s music is something you can either rock out to or sit back and just enjoy.
The unique feel of Punkoustic is achieved through a very punk influence in the lyrics and rhythm, combined with purely acoustic instrumental lineup including saxophone and fiddle. Each track on the disc is acoustic punk taken from a different angle in a new way. The opening song, “Abandon The Guilty,” starts off with strong percussion and heavy guitar chords, in classic rock style, but gains a distinct punk flair with heavy and strong vocals. “Oil on the Ground” has a more prominent punk influence with a focus on deep, dark vocals but starts off with an upbeat guitar line which contrasts with the vocals but adds to the punk feel of the song. Later on the album the music shifts more towards a more acoustic style with “Please Don’t Bury Me,” which begins with frantic guitar chords, and then builds with blistering fast vocals and a fiddle solo.
In this album Greg Rekus has found a distinct sound that completely defies expectations. The sound is full and rich with distinct punk tones, but most of all it’s enjoyable music.