Static Radio NJ - An Evening Of Bad Decisions [CD]

The Black Numbers

August 13, 2008, 11:45 AM

Punk rock always has, and most probably always will be a genre of music that splits music fans. Marmite Rock, if you will.

On the one hand, you have often bad vocals (‘rebelling’ against talented vocalists maybe?), lazy musicianship (‘rebelling’ against innovative musicians?) and song structures that are more predictable than The Kooks.

On the other hand however, you have genre that doesn’t seem to care about these things and is just straight up, honest music with lyrics that tell it like it is. The spirit of punk is something that a non-punk fan should never really get into an argument about with an actually genuine punk fan, because they will defend it to the grave (however wrong they may often be, e.g, dyed hair, pierced noses and Misfits patches sewn to bags aside, the war on Iraq still somehow went ahead, what was Blair thinking?!). The fact is that whatever one thinks of it, punk is perhaps the most community driven forms of popular music that is in existance today, and that alone deserves respect.

Unfortunately however, Static Radio’s latest release falls into both of these aforementioned categories. Yes, the music is incredibly samey, whiney, unimaginative and just reminds you of a mid-puberty teenage boy not getting his way, but at least they have something worth singing about, and good for them. The lyrics on this record seem to be mostly about everyday personal problems rather than the very cliché subjects of Punk songs, such as politics and being different. This record is one for the people, with everyday issues and occasional anger; not strictly punks, and that is what makes it a little bit special and likeable. Static Radio is a band that is to the brim with passion for music and is full of things that they want to get off their chest.

Maybe they would have made a good hardcore band then. Shame.