Search - Randy :: Welfare Problems

"My New Favorite Band..."

horati0 | up the road a piece | 07/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With all due respect to The Hives, the band which got me into the whole Swedish garage/punk movement (and I haven't looked back since, for what it's worth), with the release of Welfare Problems, Randy rises to the top of my list with an unbelievably lean and mean collection of tracks.Whereas their last outing, The Human Atom Bombs, was mostly inspired by the early rock'n'roll of Little Richard and Eddie Cochran, the music on Welfare Problems is firmly rooted in the American punk rock of the late '70s and early '80s, recalling bands such as the Modern Lovers and the Ramones. In addition, one can hear traces of 80's new wave and even some arena rock. The neat trick the band pulls of here is that not only are the tunes rocking, they are also incredibly melodic. All of these musical influences would be meaningless if the record was just a regurgitated tribute to all of Randy's favorite bands. Instead, the band uses the sounds of the past as a starting point for their own twist on the sound. What they come up with is a startingly powerful, taut bunch of rockers that recall the past but in the end, the band makes the music its own.The other great thing about this album is the lyrics. While some of the songs are stricly party anthems, much of the lyrical content deals with social commentary. These guys are *real ticked* at the stuff going on in their native Sweden, and they intend to voice their protests through their music. Songs like "A Man in Uniform" (about police brutality), "Cheater," and "Dirty and Cheap" (both about government policy and corruption) first draw you in with the music, then give you something to think about. The buzzing guitars, growling bass, and the snapping snare drum just make you want to get up and DO SOMETHING. ANYTHING. This is protest music of the highest order.I could go on all day. In a nutshell, the excitment on all levels that this record filled me with on the first and subsequent listenings is immesurable. I am quite possibly considering it the BEST ALBUM I HAVE EVER LISTENED TO. This means a lot, because I listen to Miles, Metallica, and *everything* in between. This is an album that needs to be heard. Fans of punk-rock/punk-pop/garage-rock will latch onto the album from the get-go (and probably already have), but open-minded music fans who are not familiar with the genre will be pleasantly surprised if they give this one a shot. Trust me on this one."