The Bayonettes

Guilty Pleasure [7-inch] (2010)

Sloane Daley

It would seem that Toronto's Bayonettes not only took sonic influence from the Avengers and Shop Assistants, but also the teasing feeling of "what if" you get when listening to those band's limited recorded outputs. In the Bayonettes' four-year existence they've released a demo, two singles and the fantastic We're Doomed E.P. as their swan song in 2006. They were one of those bands that only wrote good songs--not a single dud exists in their entire catalog. Fast-forward to 2010 and Deranged Records has released the band's final single, Guilty Pleasure, which was supposed to be released a few years ago. Does it live up to the high bar they set with We're Doomed? Well, not entirely, but it comes pretty damn close.

The A-side, "Guilty Pleasure" is, as far as I know, the last song the band ever recorded. It's a classic, hooky, bittersweet love song, with a catchy main guitar riff that walks the line between KBD punk and power-pop. It has enough muscle to fit in with the hardcore crowd but poppy enough to make it every hardcore hooligan's very own "guilty pleasure." Vocalist Zoe shifts between urgent shouts and smoother singing that highlights the song's fantastic melody; if you don't find yourself singing "don't walk away, I've waited up for you all night, I'm sick and tired of all the games you play, you're breaking my heart and that's no lie," you probably like to make little children cry and stink of broccoli…but I'd rather not check. The B-side, "Outta My Mind" is an older track that was previously released on the Killed by Canada compilation in 2006. Unlike a lot of the band's material, this tune relies a little more heavily on keys instead of their guitar attack for a song that has slight British Invasion vibe.

If this is the final word on the Bayonettes it is certainly a worthy note to leave on as any; even if it doesn't reach the near-perfection of We're Doomed, it is still a really fantastic single. Anyone that likes well-crafted poppy punk songs and hasn't checked out this band will be wondering where this band has been all their life, and even though this is a finale it is as good a place to start as any.