New Rock Band from Lynnfield, MA Makes Waves

The Remnents, a band out of the small suburban town of Lynnfield, MA, consists of high school seniors Bobby McKenna, Chris Corrado, and sophomore John Stringi. "The group," said McKenna during an interview, "is really made up of remnants of other groups and other projects," hense the name. McKenna tactfully changed the spelling of the name (The RemnEnts) to avoid sharing a name with a band already in existence. Despite each of the members' histories with different projects, the three share Compromise and Insecurities as their first CD release. In fact, "The group formed in order to make this CD" revealed McKenna. Corrado added, "We just wanted to get something out." After spending an entire summer in Bobby's dad's studio in his basement, the trio finally had something to show for work with the release.

Their 10-song disc "Compromise and Insecurities" has the undeniable charm of a band's first studio album, however The Remnents also have a certain maturity to their sound. While the album spans many genres (from the straight-ahead punk "You Make Me Sick" to the soulful folk tune "Seventeen"), the group maintains a unified sound throughout the entire length of the album, two feats rarely accomplished in popular music. This may be partially attributed to the studio work by the recording engineer (Bobby's dad, Bob McKenna) and the producer, Victor Kray. McKenna rightfully takes credit, however, for keeping simplicity an overall theme in the band's music. The uncrowded arrangements and some short-and-sweet songs allow for an array of influences to shine through, leaving the listener to appreciate the skillful, sometimes masterful, songwriting of McKenna and Corrado. "I hate all my songs, but I love all of his," was the sentiment shared by the songwriting team towards each other. Either way, no pop lover could deny the catchiness of Corrado's "My Song", "What's the Point?", or the passionate words by Corrado on "My Hero" and McKenna on "Seventeen". The band members, who are not ready to settle and are already back in the studio, are most satisfied that although the album has high points, "all ten songs are listenable."