I'll admit, when I first saw a new album from The Loved Ones land in my inbox, I got pretty excited. Being a fan of the Philadelphia punk band fronted by Dave Hause, I thought I was about to hear something I hadn't expected. Unfortunately, these weren't the Loved Ones I was looking for. However, what I discovered instead was a band with an entirely different history and a sound that reaches back considerably further than the punk rock I had in mind.
Oakland's The Loved Ones formed in 1990, emerging from California's mod scene with a healthy appreciation for British Invasion rock, Chicago blues, and vintage rhythm and blues. After releasing two albums through Hightone Records and sharing stages with legends like John Lee Hooker and Junior Wells, the band called it quits in 1995. There have been occasional reunions over the years, but LATEST HITS! marks the original lineup's return to writing and recording new music together. And if you're expecting something that sounds remotely modern, you've come to the wrong place.
LATEST HITS! is an unapologetic love letter to the sounds of the 1960s, with a little '50s rock 'n' roll and early '70s flavor thrown in for good measure. The guitars are largely clean, occasionally breaking into fuzzy distortion, while the rhythms bounce along with the sort of carefree energy that once dominated AM radio. There's a strong Byrds influence running throughout the material, along with shades of Buffalo Springfield, George Harrison, and the British mod movement. At times, there's even a Buddy Holly quality to the songwriting, particularly in the way the melodies and guitar arrangements work together. It's the kind of music that makes you imagine a black and white television broadcast, complete with a screaming studio audience and Ed Sullivan introducing the next big thing.
But The Loved Ones aren't simply sticking to one particular corner of rock history. There's plenty of blues in their DNA, especially when the guitars get a little dirtier and the rhythms loosen up. Elsewhere, things slow down and take on a moodier quality reminiscent of Jim Morrison. Then, just as quickly, the band shifts back into bouncy, guitar driven mod rock that practically begs for a room full of people to start dancing. That variety is one of the more appealing aspects of LATEST HITS!. Rather than limiting themselves to a single interpretation of vintage rock, The Loved Ones pull from several different periods and styles, allowing the songs to move between blues, garage rock, folk-rock, and early rock 'n' roll without abandoning their identity.
Grammy-winning producer Nick Waterhouse is a fitting choice to oversee the proceedings. Known for his own affection for classic rhythm and blues and vintage recording aesthetics, Waterhouse seems particularly well suited to a band whose entire musical identity is rooted in an earlier era. The result, at least across the material I've heard, has an appropriately old-school character without feeling like a novelty recording.
Of course, there's always a question of what a band like this has to offer in 2026. After all, there's no shortage of artists trying to resurrect the sounds of the '60s, and plenty of the original recordings are still readily available. But The Loved Ones have something working in their favor that many revivalists don't. They were already playing this music more than three decades ago. This isn't a group of younger musicians discovering vintage records and deciding to build an aesthetic around them. It's four musicians returning to a sound they've carried with them for much of their lives. The original lineup of Bart Davenport, Xan McCurdy, Michael Therieau, and John Kent brings plenty of experience to the table, both collectively and individually. McCurdy's longtime involvement with Cake might be the most recognizable connection, but each member has remained musically active since the band's original run.
What I appreciate most about LATEST HITS! is that it doesn't appear particularly concerned with sounding contemporary. There are no obvious attempts to update the formula for a modern audience or force these songs into some current musical trend. The Loved Ones know what they enjoy playing, and they're comfortable embracing it. I came into this record hoping for a new album from one of my favorite punk bands and ended up taking an unexpected trip through the sounds of another generation. It certainly wasn't what I anticipated, but sometimes that's part of the fun of reviewing music. Just don't expect Dave Hause to show up.
