It seems for some punk is either a radio friendly unit shifter or the genre bands fall into in their fight to prove how little they know about guitars. This is a travesty. Praise God then for Rancid and their first album since they flexed some harcore muscle with their eponymously titled release in 2000.
And what a record it is. Rancid have 19 songs, personal and political, to prove their calibre. Who else is writing music about the war? Misty eyes turn to the RATM shaped hole in the fabric of rock. Who else is writing honestly and positively about heartbreak or anything? Please post your answers on the W&H notice board because I really want to know.
Admittedly sleeve notes abound, suggesting Rancid feel a need to explain themselves - in complete contrast to the media blackout that surrounded their previous album. But the songs stand alone and "Indestructible" (a title referencing 'To Tough To Die' by The Ramones) is an incredibly uplifting response to some heavy
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themes.
How do I objectively review a song about losing a brother? Or attempt to convey the crushing lyrics and shatteringly upbeat music that make up 'Tropical London'(about the estrangement of guitarist Tim Armstrong and his wife, The Distillers' Brody Dalle). I can welch out and talk about the Ska edges, the Calypso Reggae tinged 'Red Hot Moon', the spaghetti western guitar slinging in 'Django', or the ridiculously disposable but brilliant bass on 'David Courtney' or witter on about the lyrics, quoting snippets out of context. None of this is truly
descriptive, however,as Rancid are a band at the top of their game and this is the album to prove it.
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