The Bouncing Souls’ ninth studio album, “Comet,” is a short record with a long shadow to live up to. At 34 minutes and 10 tracks, it trades some of the band’s fast punk edge for a quieter, more restrained rock sound. The band is trying to grow up without losing its footing, and the results land somewhere between promising and irregular.
Track by Track
“Baptized” opens the record with a driving guitar line and a chorus built for an audience to sing back. It sets a tone the rest of the album does not always match.
“Fast Times” keeps the pace up, turning back toward the band’s older, quicker instincts. It’s one of the record’s clear highlights, a reminder of what the Souls do best.
“Static” runs just under three minutes and moves quickly, a tight run of energy that does not waste a second.
“Coin Toss Girl” is the strongest thing here. At over four minutes, it’s built with more patience than most of the album, letting a hook have room instead of rushing it.
The title track, “Comet,” reaches past five minutes, the longest song on the record. It’s ambitious, but the added length does not always pay off.
“We Love Fun,” “Infidel” and “DFA” form a part in the middle that mostly runs together. “Infidel,” at 1:43, is over almost before it starts. None of the three does much to change the album’s direction, though “Infidel” has a keen edge that stands out briefly.
“In Sleep” runs 4:40 and grows weak where it should build. It’s the closest the record comes to a genuine weak point.
“Ship in a Bottle” closes things out, and it’s a strong finish. It’s musical, patient, and gives the album an ending that feels earned rather than added on at the last minute.
The Running Order
| # | Track | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baptized | 3:22 |
| 2 | Fast Times | 3:22 |
| 3 | Static | 2:56 |
| 4 | Coin Toss Girl | 4:06 |
| 5 | Comet | 5:21 |
| 6 | We Love Fun | 2:34 |
| 7 | Infidel | 1:43 |
| 8 | DFA | 2:34 |
| 9 | In Sleep | 4:40 |
| 10 | Ship in a Bottle | 3:48 |
Where It Falls Short
The problem with “Comet” is not any single bad song. It’s the lack of a clear identity. The Bouncing Souls sound like a band caught between the quick, musical records that built their name and a calmer, more textured sound they have not fully worked out yet. Nothing here embarrasses the band, but nothing quite holds you either.
The best moments — “Coin Toss Girl,” “Fast Times,” “Baptized,” “Ship in a Bottle” — prove the band still has the skill that made them stand out in the first place. The rest of the record just does not reach that same level.
The Verdict
“Comet” is a mixed record from a band capable of much more. The highlights are real: “Coin Toss Girl” and “Ship in a Bottle” sit at either end of some of the best song skill the Souls have put on record in years, and “Fast Times” and “Baptized” hold their own too. But the middle part loses steam, and “In Sleep” never finds its footing. This is not the band’s best work, and it’s not their worst either. It’s a record caught between two sounds, and it shows.
- Baptized3:22
- Fast Times3:22
- Static2:56
- Coin Toss Girl4:06
- Comet5:21
- We Love Fun2:34
- Infidel1:43
- DFA2:34
- In Sleep4:40
- Ship in a Bottle3:48
