Darren McLeod
01/27/06, 12:16 PM
Randy - Randy The Band
Release Date: January 10, 2006
Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
The country of Sweden has had a lot to offer to North America in the past: hockey star Daniel Alfredsson, hardcore legends Refused, the 1986 hit song (and Arrested Development staple) "The Final Countdown." In recent years, one of the country's greatest exports has been Randy, a four-piece leather-clad punk band that often draw comparisons to bands such as The Clash and The Buzzcocks.
Though originally slated as an Epitaph release, Randy The Band was switched over to Fat Wreck Chords last year (much to Fat Mike's delight), and North Americans can finally enjoy what Europeans have been enjoying for months. Setting aside some of the aggression seen on previous albums, the band has really tuned into their melodic side, with melody becoming the focal point of the album.
The disc kicks off with "Punk Rock High," a catchy number that sets the pace for the rest of the record. The band's lyrics are often political, but also frequently witty and amusing: "I went to punk rock high and the school of rock, and just like Bill Haley I rock around the clock!" Their penchant for poppy numbers is displayed throughout the album, particularly on standout tracks like "Red Banner Rockers" and "Bahnhof Zoo," the former describing itself as "A Molotov rock tale exploding in the cheapest of bars."
Singer Stefan Granberg's voice, often with accent intact, covers a lot of ground, harmonizing well on the poppier tracks, but also retaining its crunch for more aggressive tracks like "Teenage Tiger" or "Losing My Mind." Short guitar solos fill up the opportune moments, keeping every second of the 36 minutes on the album exciting.
The record closes with the one-two punch of "Promise" and "The World Is Getting Bored," the latter of which features a powerful stance on file-sharing in the lyrics:
The kids these days are fed up with the music industry.
They don't care about the product so they download the music on mp3.
This is what you get when you get too greedy for too long.
The kids don't want your plastic box no more, they just want the songs.
Fat Wreck Chords should count its lucky stars that Epitaph shared Randy for this release. A premier example of old-school pop-punk done right, Randy The Band is filled with irresistible melodies, but never once sacrifices attitude to achieve their sound.
Plus, any band that admits in the liner notes to creating their own word, "pissious," simply "cause it sounded cool and it rhymed" wins points in my book.
---
Band Website: http://www.randytheband.com
Release Date: January 10, 2006
Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
The country of Sweden has had a lot to offer to North America in the past: hockey star Daniel Alfredsson, hardcore legends Refused, the 1986 hit song (and Arrested Development staple) "The Final Countdown." In recent years, one of the country's greatest exports has been Randy, a four-piece leather-clad punk band that often draw comparisons to bands such as The Clash and The Buzzcocks.
Though originally slated as an Epitaph release, Randy The Band was switched over to Fat Wreck Chords last year (much to Fat Mike's delight), and North Americans can finally enjoy what Europeans have been enjoying for months. Setting aside some of the aggression seen on previous albums, the band has really tuned into their melodic side, with melody becoming the focal point of the album.
The disc kicks off with "Punk Rock High," a catchy number that sets the pace for the rest of the record. The band's lyrics are often political, but also frequently witty and amusing: "I went to punk rock high and the school of rock, and just like Bill Haley I rock around the clock!" Their penchant for poppy numbers is displayed throughout the album, particularly on standout tracks like "Red Banner Rockers" and "Bahnhof Zoo," the former describing itself as "A Molotov rock tale exploding in the cheapest of bars."
Singer Stefan Granberg's voice, often with accent intact, covers a lot of ground, harmonizing well on the poppier tracks, but also retaining its crunch for more aggressive tracks like "Teenage Tiger" or "Losing My Mind." Short guitar solos fill up the opportune moments, keeping every second of the 36 minutes on the album exciting.
The record closes with the one-two punch of "Promise" and "The World Is Getting Bored," the latter of which features a powerful stance on file-sharing in the lyrics:
The kids these days are fed up with the music industry.
They don't care about the product so they download the music on mp3.
This is what you get when you get too greedy for too long.
The kids don't want your plastic box no more, they just want the songs.
Fat Wreck Chords should count its lucky stars that Epitaph shared Randy for this release. A premier example of old-school pop-punk done right, Randy The Band is filled with irresistible melodies, but never once sacrifices attitude to achieve their sound.
Plus, any band that admits in the liner notes to creating their own word, "pissious," simply "cause it sounded cool and it rhymed" wins points in my book.
---
Band Website: http://www.randytheband.com