The cyclical nature of music tends to bring us some godawful retreads and an all too common sense of complacency embedded in forgettable blandness.

However, once in a while a sound comes along and picks up the Mjölnir-esc baton and moves it a little further down the road in the right direction.

All that being said, when normally discussing sound retreads, in this case sounds influenced in the vein of My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At the Disco, there is really little latitude in the concept of “the right direction” but for Ada, Oklahoma’s Bloodfeather, that narrow pathway not only becomes a runway, but they strut down that road like it was paved for them.

Joey Todd (vocals and guitar), Tijuana Jones (drums), and Dakota Roberson (bass) elevate a reimagining of a semi-emo-pop punk sound built on the ashes of turn-of-the-century rock. The glory days of what was a great rock sound emerges once again in the self-titled ten-track release. But those looking for a friendly reminder of what made us love that Alien Ant Farm style may be disappointed in how stand-alone Bloodfeather becomes. Where guitar and vocals would naturally stand as a totem of a band, respectfully, Todd is nothing without the presence of Jones and Roberson here. Not to downplay any one aspect of Bloodfeather, because honestly they’re the rock we need right now, the trio somehow molds perfectly.

Bloodfeather constructs an animal of which embodies the lyrical brilliance of Todd yet bears its teeth and sharp claws of rock that quickly get the head sways and will have you learning the words as if this was created for you. From the flag-planting opener (“Mary’s Choice”) through the dimly lit badassery felt throughout (“W.O.T.C” and “The Winning Bet [featuring Outline in Color’s Jon Grimes]”) to a very bold cover of a little band from Las Vegas (hint: rhymes with The Killers), Bloodfeather is exactly what they appear to be. They are pure, genuine post-punk revival rock that we need more in this world. And I assure you, there’s no catch, just Bloodfeather.

Greg is a co-founder and regular contributor of Nanobot Rock.