Schmidty Says
04/07/10, 03:48 PM
We Are The Union - Great Leaps Forward
Record Label: Paper & Plastick
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Who?
We Are The Union: Detroit, Michigan's ska punk extraordinaires. Armed with their sophomore effort Great Leaps Forward, these guys are ready to start a new wave of ska punk for today's generation.
How is it?
What wave of ska are we at now? Does it really matter? Not to We Are The Union, who make their own blend of "skacore" (for lack of a better term). Mixing hard nose punk and a brass section (specifically a trombone), WATU sound like the bastard children of Lifetime and Big D & the Kids Table. Opening the album is "We're All Dead," which has a great build up, then explodes in to a fast paced, circle pit inducing track with the gang calling "We're All Dead!" "We Don't Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up The Fire" sees the album slow down ever so slightly, featuring the brass section prominently. "What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate" picks right back up, showing the band at it's best, even containing a breakdown of sorts about halfway through the song. Album closer "Be Kind, Rewind" is a fitting finish, ending with the lyrics "Don't waste your last breath / to ask for redemption. / Forgive yourself / reinvent salvation."
We Are The Union are just another band out of the Detroit area making a name for themselves. The only knock on the album is that sometimes the horns are overwhelmed by the rest of the band, but they more than make up for that on "We Don't Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up The Fire." It's easy to tell these guys are having a great time making music, so do yourself a favor: check them out. You won't regret it.
Rehasher; Big D & the Kids Table; Lifetime; Anthem-era Less Than Jake
myspace.com/wearetheunion (http://www.myspace.com/wearetheunion)
Record Label: Paper & Plastick
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Who?
We Are The Union: Detroit, Michigan's ska punk extraordinaires. Armed with their sophomore effort Great Leaps Forward, these guys are ready to start a new wave of ska punk for today's generation.
How is it?
What wave of ska are we at now? Does it really matter? Not to We Are The Union, who make their own blend of "skacore" (for lack of a better term). Mixing hard nose punk and a brass section (specifically a trombone), WATU sound like the bastard children of Lifetime and Big D & the Kids Table. Opening the album is "We're All Dead," which has a great build up, then explodes in to a fast paced, circle pit inducing track with the gang calling "We're All Dead!" "We Don't Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up The Fire" sees the album slow down ever so slightly, featuring the brass section prominently. "What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate" picks right back up, showing the band at it's best, even containing a breakdown of sorts about halfway through the song. Album closer "Be Kind, Rewind" is a fitting finish, ending with the lyrics "Don't waste your last breath / to ask for redemption. / Forgive yourself / reinvent salvation."
We Are The Union are just another band out of the Detroit area making a name for themselves. The only knock on the album is that sometimes the horns are overwhelmed by the rest of the band, but they more than make up for that on "We Don't Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up The Fire." It's easy to tell these guys are having a great time making music, so do yourself a favor: check them out. You won't regret it.
Rehasher; Big D & the Kids Table; Lifetime; Anthem-era Less Than Jake
myspace.com/wearetheunion (http://www.myspace.com/wearetheunion)