An up-and-coming Chicago band that plays music that's punky and post-punky, as t
author: Mike Bennett (www.fufkin.com)
An up-and-coming Chicago band that plays music that's punky and post-punky, as this trio seems to have listened to a lot of great music from the late-‘70s and early-‘80s. More importantly, they also have something to say. Now, I'm not saying they are fully articulate lyrically, but they are angry and intelligent, and the five tracks here are good vehicles for dancing about and stomping on their problems. The best of the five is the jagged "Big White Lie", a song made for these times, and many times in the past. This band is a well-oiled machine, with singer Michael Ross's guitar playing bursts of patterned chords, while the bass and drum combo of Adam Knapp and Colin Tahi interlocking perfectly. The verses are almost cod-reggae (a bit reminiscent of Fugazi), revving up in rocking intensity. The band takes on segregation in Chicago, a city whose transportation systems (el and highways) were specifically designed to separate blacks and whites. Ross has a piercing and powerful voice that is great for expressing frustration and disgust. I like how the song takes a few minutes to build to the shouting chorus. This same band is capable of melodic agility, illustrated on the fifth and final track, "Leavin'". While Tahi still drums with reserved urgency, Ross shows off a softer side to his voice. The most accessible song is "Run (From the City)" which starts off softly and builds up the energy pretty quickly, and sports the strongest chorus hook on the disc. This song seethes with the passion of bands like New Model Army and The Jam, though sounding not quite like either. This band has made a lot of strides since I first saw them live, and they are just beginning to fulfill their potential. The playing is already great, and the songs are good, and if they get better, this will be a special band. boysontrial.com
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