Friday, 1st August, 2008
The Resistors: "My Own Worst Enemy"
I like the Resistors. They write great political tunes which make every bit of sense - the desperate letter tone plea in "Dear Mr. Bush" quotes some shocking statistics. They also have a great wide source of inspiration - this is immediately clear in "American Empire" which could be an out take from Blue Oyster Cult's occasionally trippy (such as this opener) classic Secret Treaties and follow-on "Blood Oil And Sand" which to me definitely borrows the eerie gothic vocal style from the Sisters Of Mercy and early-era (Danzig)Misfits.
What I respect about this band is the fact that they're not just trying to be the next Anti-Flag (not that I dislike Anti-Flag, they're just an example) musically. They share the political edge, but take inspiration from all the old punk and heavy metal guitarists (early Kiss, Ramones, New York Dolls, Blue Oyster Cult as mentioned - all from or formed in New York, an interesting side note!) whilst having enough fun to lighten the weight of some of the more serious themes on display - "Walking Ruin," involving the dodgy combination of the government and pot, is a direct opposite to the twanging carefree mood of delinquent romance in "Tequila Has A Way," a song which, in a truly pop-punk fashion, relies on leads, leads, leads as the main hook. As you should know by now, leads are very important to me, "Tequila Has A Way" being my favourite Resistors pop song.
However, not everything is perfect. The Resistors have hooks, sure, but it seems to me that they are not evenly distributed to all twelve tracks. This can be forgiven in the case of certain songs ("Dear Mr Bush"), but when it comes to relatively good ideas in an intentionally fun track such as "Nowhere Fast," there's just not enough there. Three minutes with a killer guitar solo, but somehow even after repeated listening there's little else to fill the void between one hook and another. This is only a minor grumble with an otherwise enjoyable listen! If these dudes exhibited their talent more often with a few more numbers in the vein of "Long Long Time Ago" and "Tequila," they would become a force not to be reckoned with. But as it stands, I think the Resistors should re-consider their priorities and start producing more concise material such as E.P's and singles. But what the hell, this album is a bargain ($5/around £2.50).
