TAKE IT BACK
"Can't Fight Robots" (Facedown;
2008)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Arkansas's Take It Back hit somewhere between the drive of hardcore and the melodies of punk rock on their debut, "Can't Fight Robots." They rely on melodies, but they never quite go over to a power-pop sound as they manage to retain enough of the energy to keep things afloat.
Throughout "Can't Fight Robots," the band comes across as being rather upbeat, but the rough vocals and drive pull things along nicely. Take It Back do manage to mix up their sounds enough and it always seemed to happen right when I was just beginning to think they were playing it a bit too safe ... but they did enough to prove me wrong on that train of thought.
My tastes tend to lean more toward hardcore, but the style of punk rock on "Can't Fight Robots" manages to be very catchy without being soft or watered down in any way. That approach might actually be the most attractive attribute of their music because it would be so easy for them to play a little lighter in the hopes of being more accessible. However, just as they believe in their spiritual lyrics, they also believe in the spirit of the style of music that they have committed themselves to.
Really an album with a great deal to offer to different audiences and one that was almost instantly likable.
For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/takeitbackar.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 12 Aug 2024 14:33:58 -0400.
