New Release: Help A Sinner by Five Eight

Athens, GA foursome Five Eight came blasting back last year with “Take Me to the Skatepark,” surprising fans and proving their muster as an in-your-face punk band with nothing left to lose. The song – with its wall-of-guitar sound – clocks at just under 90 m.p.h., and has once again resurrected the group who has been making music since the Passive-Aggressive cassette demo back in ’89.

Coming off a huge coupla years with the release of the documentary Weirdo: The Story of Five Eight, these Athenians are touring more than ever and gaining fans by the day. The flick covers a lot of ground and underscores the brotherhood formed in the nearly four decades of the band’s existence. Numerous screenings of the doc have been presented around the country, with an added bonus of a live rock show after. It’s a winning combination.

The poppiest and most accessible tune on the new release has to be “I’m Alone,” a genuine, radio-friendly anthem (whatever that is these days). An instant earworm for the listener, the song addresses loneliness – or the lack of it: “I’ve got no use for a phone or a letter / A note on a postcard / Seems so much better.” Mantione wails, “I long to be lonely,” looking for just a few moments of me time.

On Help a Sinner, released (of course) on May 8th (a.k.a. “Five Eight Day”), the band delivers a tangible set of songs that you can hear and feel. The rock is solid on this one and the band of fifty-somethings prove that age is just a number. And you should turn that number up to eleven. “Dreadful Things” is a fast-paced rocker, with singer Mike Mantione entering the song with, “Someone said, you should be grateful I’m not dead / In these times of fear and dread, that makes sense to me.” The singer’s power and vulnerability have been evident for years. Just check out “Weirdo” and you’ll see my point. Providing the one-two punch is “Single Car Crash,” harkening back to classic the Five Eight sound, born of the rock gods.

If you’re wondering about the eclectic album artwork, look no further than Athens’ own artist Jason Goad. It seems to match the mood of the band and the music; a genuine specimen of controlled chaos. Adding to the aural havoc are bassist Dan Horowitz, drummer Patrick Ferguson, and guitarist Sean Dunn. This is Five Eight’s first new studio album since the excellent Songs For St. Jude nine years ago.

At the helm was famed Athens’ producer David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, R.E.M.), the sound is urgent and compelling…as if the band is preparing for the end. But the album also conjures the best of Five Eight, who hit their stride in the ’90s and besides some brief breaks, have remained relevant to fans.

On the title track, “Help a Sinner,” Mantione sings, “The have-nots have not / And the haves cannot stop,” clearly an observation on the current state of the world. Beyond the music, Five Eight continue to maintain close ties to the Athens community through their longtime support of Nuçi’s Space, a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health advocacy within the music community. That sense of compassion and humanity has long been woven into the band’s identity and remains evident throughout the album’s themes.

Mantione’s reflections on the Big Apple in “Why Did I Ever Leave New York” and “I Really Miss New York” draw directly from his upbringing there. In fact, Five Eight  formed in New York before eventually relocating south to the musical mecca of Athens. The legends they are, it’s not uncommon for other musicians to pop into the studio when Five Eight are recording new material. Drive-By Trucker Jay Gonzalez sits in on piano for “Not the 4th of July” as well as both New York songs. Matt Beck takes on the pedal steel guitar for “4th of July” and “Bloom,” and producer Barbe adds guitar to “I Really Miss New York.”

As the music landscape changes and new fans are born every day, Five Eight continue to create emotional rock and roll music. Fans are fanatic and shows are explosive. As these four friends hug the curve once again, the speed of their commitment to evolving only increases.

For more information on Five Eight, visit their website and grab Help a Sinner at Bandcamp.

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