This album screams out from the first bar in a rather “heard it all before” way. Whilst this may not be true, this is a typical US sounding rock band. That is not to say they are out of one mould or that they are copying styles, but this band does just sound like a US rock band. A relatively generic style and I am sure they go down well in the colleges across the States. You can just see this band being asked to play at Spring Break in their native Florida.
Where did the name come from? Well, there is no profound background story here. Singer Ronnie Winter says of the name, “When we started the band, we only cared about having a good time and writing good songs far more than coming up with some symbolic, incredibly intelligent name. I think its funny when bands scramble their brains to try and come up with some unique, untouchable band name," Band guitarist, Elias Reidy adds "Why waste time thinking of something when we could be concentrating on music instead? The locals loved it, so we went with it.” I like that attitude. Too many times I have heard a band that sounds as though they have spent far too long picking a band name than worrying about their sound.
This is a band who have already sold over 500,000 copies of this album and are now looking to make it in the Britain and Europe. This album may well sell well here, as for all of it’s generic sound it is a catchy mix of songs that instantly seem recognisable. The band have recently finished a sell out headlining tour in the States.
Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet, the album’s 9th song, is an angry attack on the music industry about a female friend of the band who is unable to get a record contract due to her looks despite her singing ability. The angry drumming on
Justify melds the guitar and vocals to create a pumping hands in the air song and it melts into the quieter more soulful sound of Your
Guardian Angel. The band are also not fearful of more emotive topics and their song,
Face Down, challenges domestic violence.
This is not an album that will blow a listener away. There is nothing new or innovative about this band and don’t expect to see The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus headline a festival next year but if American rock such as Green Day, Hooberstank and the All-American Rejects are bands you have on your MP3 player The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus will probably appeal to you. This is a band whose average age is 21 and who may surprise me in growing their sound to something more unique to them, Regardless of their success in Britain, it appears that their popularity in the States will at least bring them some fame and fortune, if that is what they are seeking.
This is a radio-ready album that was impressed someone enough to get the band onto the Warped Tour stage and may be enough to get them some air play in this country. I can see Colin Murray putting this on his Radio One show one night. It is perhaps best described as rock easy listening which is probably not what the band have aimed for and certainly not a phrase that would make anyone rush out to buy this album.
I didn’t dislike this album but that may have had more to do with it being somewhat bland than not enjoying the sound. There is little to dislike here but equally there is not much to rave about. This is a fairly non-descript album which tries hard but perhaps fails to be more than another generic US rock band trying to make it across the water.
This album is widely available now and tracks can be heard at
www.myspace.com/redjumpsuit and you can find out more about the band on their own website at
www.redjumpsuit.com
