Santa Cruz’s hometown heroes, The Expendables, released their eighth studio album June 23rd, and the name couldn’t be more fitting. Pleasure Point harkens back to the quartet’s musical and geographical roots as a reggae/surf rock/punk-adjacent band coming up on the coast of central California.
It’s the comeback album we all needed to hear. After a six-year record-making hiatus and a label change, Pleasure Point was released via Ineffable Records and includes features from the Ineffable family roster like Bret Bollinger of Pepper and Little Stranger, ensuring their relevance and further cementing their status as OG reggae-rock royalty.
Pleasure Point is sonically nostalgic if you’ve been listening to The Expendables since the early naughts. The entire record is a dream of yesteryear, and these five tracks very obviously stick out as the winners. Note: this is a wildly subjective judgment, don’t @ me.
“Do Me” (featuring Bret Bollinger)
The song is not what you think it’s about, despite the suggestively cheeky title. The easy breezy anthem waxes f*cked up relationships and will be triggering if you’ve recently done someone dirty or been cheated on, so buyer beware.
“Pass the Joint”
Heavy guitar riffs, bubbly synth, and a punchy chorus delivered by Geoff Weirs paying homage to their hometown, “Pass the Joint” is the embodiment of the quintessential Expendables sound. You could play this song for someone who hasn’t heard it yet and they would immediately know it’s The Expendables.
“Wicked Game”
I know what you’re thinking, “there’s no way they covered the 80’s soft rock ballad by Chris Issak.” They DID and it’s absolutely probably better than the original. I will die on this hill. Adam Patterson’s voice shines like a new penny and breathes life into a classic song once regaled to your mom’s cassette collection.
“Homewrecker” (featuring Little Stranger)
Another song about shady relationships. Someone in the band must be going through it. Philly-based duo Little Stranger brings plenty of head nods and some downright savage lyrics with lines like “your own dog don’t bark when I enter the apartment because I take him to the park which is more than you can say // seems like you’ve been missing every day, drive your car to dinner and I use your card to pay.” Gonna need ice for some of these.
“Silence Over Sound”
You could tell me Raul’s guitar solo in this song is from an 80’s power metal/hair band like Scorpions or KISS and I’d believe you. Patterson’s vocals once again take center stage — rugged, yet soft; mournful, yet joyous.
Honorable Mentions:
“Lives and Loves”, featuring Amplified. who also happens to be The Expendables tour manager and content creator. “Surfman Cometh”, a re-release of the 2020 single that 100% belongs in a Western.