Rapid Fire Reviews: Jamming Out with Bass Drum Of Death, White Reaper, & The Men
I don't necessarily have any cultural or musical reasons for covering these garage-flavored rock and punk acts together, it just felt right that they had all dropped new albums early in the year. So without any further delay, let's rock. Enjoy <3
Say I Won't - Bass Drum Of Death
Even though I haven't really liked a Bass Drum Of Death album since their self-titled in 2013 I had a few reasons to go into this record expecting I might enjoy it more. The first of which is the simplicity of their style and appeal. It feels like they still have an idea of what made them sound so exciting in the first place and are still trying to channel some of that into their music. The second reason I had was the supernatural single Say Your Prayers which hit with the churning rock riffs, soaring hook, and evocative instrumentation that I hope for from the band. Unfortunately, aside from that song and a solid opening track the first half of this record has very little to offer aside from clunky hooks and snarling vocal lines that really don't do much for me. The closest the album comes to throwing out another highlight in the first half is Wait which has a playful bassline and verses but loses me completely on the really clunky chorus. The second half starts with Swerving which feels like one of the middle-period Cloud Nothings songs though I don't find it nearly as compelling as a track like Modern Act. Thankfully the second half does make some general improvements with the exception of one of the album's worst songs Everybody's Gonna Be There. It even manages to provide a pretty killer instrumental bridge on the title track in the process. While these songs aren't good enough to necessarily "save" the record they do go a long way to making it more listenable after a rough start. Unfortunately, this isn't the Bass Drum Of Death album I was hoping for any rock fans who listen are likely to pick out a few favorites that stick with them. I'll always keep an eye on this band given what I know they're capable of but were now going on a decade for the group without much they've done that I've had any overwhelming praise for. 5.5/10
Asking For A Ride - White Reaper
When I first heard White Reaper's breakout 2017 album I wasn't necessarily impressed by what they were doing but I certainly understood it. While I wasn't head over heels for their follow-up in 2019 I still thought it was an improvement, if not in musicianship then in attitude. By the time I got to see them live in 2021 their song Might Be Right had become a big favorite of mine and I was looking forward to what the band would do next. So here in 2023 we've got Asking For A Ride, just under 30 minutes of new music which bounces between a number of different styles and influences throughout. While the opening run of the record brings a number of speedier riffs and chaotic instrumental shifts it's still definitively White Reaper with songs like Bozo being overwhelmingly caked in their infectious style. After that introduction though the album starts to shift into something that I'd describe as the dreamier side of alternative rock and I'd be fine with it if the personality of the band didn't basically disappear with it. The middle of this record is pretty far from what I'd call fun and I don't find it very exciting as a result. Even when they do conjure up some of that personality it also suffers from some pretty rough stumbles on the songwriting end with tracks like Crawlspace. Those songwriting issues also apply to the closing track Pages but thankfully the band provides plenty to chew on sonically to make up for it. It does me no pleasure to report that I think this is a step back from a band that I've been hoping for years would take a step forward. The biggest issue I have with this album is how little of their personality shines through. After falling in love with the idea of the band over the past few years it's unfortunate that they turned around and released their most anonymous record to date. 5/10
New York City - The Men
I'll be the first person to admit I haven't done a good job keeping up with The Men. I agree with most tat their 2012 album Open Your Heart is a punk rock classic and they're signed to one of my favorite record labels in all of music Sacred Bones. Despite all of that I still didn't end up reviewing either of their last two projects so when I revisited Open for my 2012 retrospective last year I decided I would cover the band whenever they came back. Even though this album not being released on Sacred Bones it still seems to be garnering more attention than their last few releases and it's pretty easy to see why when it starts out with such brash distorted rocking right out of the gate. On top of the opening two songs leading into each other, there is no room left between these songs, as soon as one is done jamming the next one takes up its place. It actually suits the style of the music really well presenting just over 35 minutes of pretty much constant punk and garage rocking. While the lyrical imagery is certainly compelling I do want to mention that it touches on a lot of stuff that feels cliche for this style. The rough city living style of songwriting still feels like something the Ramones would have written though The Men certainly seem like they have the cred and admiration for the history of NYC punk to pull it off. I can already tell someone reading this might be thinking "wow a raw distorted political punk album about life in New York City what a new concept" and trust me I know. I don't think the band is exactly hitting on any new ground here but I do think they've come up with a presentation style that really matches the sound. This album is less about its individual tracks and more about a parade of angry, snarling noise that never rests long enough for you to get a breath in even if you want to. Despite not enjoying the second half quite as much as the first and some dips in quality here and there on songs like God Bless The USA, I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed my time with this album pretty much every time I finished listening to it. It's 40 minutes of dirty punk rock that I would have no trouble revisiting again and again. 6.5/10
