Artist: Red City Radio
Album: The Dangers of Standing Still
Label: Paper + Plastick
Release Date: Feb. 22
Grade: A
Rarely does a full-length debut album grab the listener and refuse to let go. But that is exactly what Red City Radio has created with The Dangers of Standing Still.
The Dangers of Standing Still is the product of four guys from Oklahoma City who have spent plenty of time paying their dues. What makes this album different from most punk albums is the fact that all four members wrote their own songs.
Often, when there is no main songwriter for a band, the album is all over the place and offers many different sounds. But in the case of The Dangers of Standing Still, it makes the album that much better.
Red City Radio might not be a household name, but they have been making quite the splash since their 2009 EP, To the Sons and Daughters of Woody Guthrie.
The band has presented 12 songs that are as anthemic as they are unapologetic. Punk albums are not made like this anymore.
Building off what Hot Water Music provided almost 10 years ago with Caution, The Dangers of Standing Still provides the punk world with a fresh sound at a time where everyone sounds the same.
This band is so unique because it uses emotions to drive home its somewhat political lyrics. This makes the listener not only comprehend, but also feel a connection with, every word being sung.
Every one of the 12 songs on the album is just as catchy and hits just as hard as the other tracks. By the end of the album, there is no way the listener doesn't have his fist raised and isn't ready to throw down in the circle pit.
Each track articulates emotions that most people long to express. This is most apparent on the first single from the album, "Spinning in Circles is a Gateway Drug."
This song is a coming-of-age song. As the song builds up, so does the listener's appreciation, as nearly every person can relate to the lyrics. By time the chorus chants, "We'll be whatever we choose to be," the listener will be screaming along passionately.
As the album evolves, the listener is introduced to songs like "I'm Well, You're Poison" and "This Day Has Seen Better Bars," which are two of the best songs on the record. Red City Radio continues the theme of overcoming odds while giving the listener a sense of hope.
The song "Drinking Ourselves into the Future" is reminiscent of The Gaslight Anthem's "Old White Lincoln." Both are driven by a dynamic bassline that gets the listener dancing, but on "Drinking," the raspy vocals propel the song to another level.
There is little doubt that Red City Radio will quickly rise to the top of the punk scene. The Dangers of Standing Still has shown that you don't have to be big to make one of the best albums of the year.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
