Rufio

The Loneliest (2010)

Alex Marriott

To be honest, I wasn't that arsed when Rufio split back in 2007, as much as I loved 2003's MCMLXXXV and 2001's Perhaps, I Suppose…; 2005'sThe Comfort of Home was a large portion of bollock gravy. You could say that I had outgrown them, or you could say that they had just lost it. You would more than likely say, either way, that Rufio are just…shit. I must admit, I was not the only one surprised to see them reunite, albeit with a different lineup.

Colour me extremely surprised then, when I found myself bouncing around the room like it was 2001 all over again upon hearing the first track, "All That Lasts," from the reunited band's new EP. Whilst it may lack the technical riffs that first endeared me to the band, it's got all the speed, more than all of the feeling of earlier material, and with enough sugar to make it dangerous to diabetics. Plus, Scott's voice is better than it's ever been. [Think late '90s Lagwagon, or the early '00s poppy skatepunk revival of Slick Shoes - RIYL ed.]. I can safely say that it would be a certainty for my year-end mixtape, if I actually made one.

The Loneliest is fleshed out with another three tracks -- the title track and acoustic versions of the first two songs. The aforementioned track is more like the recent Rufio material, in that it's slower and more a standard pop-punk cheesefest. It's also more like recent Rufio material in that it's not as good (as the first track). Fans are sure to enjoy it though, I'm sure. As for the acoustic tracks, they rank the same as the full-band ones, and aren't as good either. Still, worth a listen.

As an EP, The Loneliest is not worth writing home over or telling all your friends about. What it does do, however, is get fans of the band rather excited over the prospect of an album later this year.