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Rumspringer

Stay Afloat

Written by: PP on 25/07/2013 22:31:56

Rumspringer from Tempe, Arizona first caught my attention with their excellent self-titled EP back in 2009, which basically echoed all the ideals of Midwestern punk that are also found on their latest album "Stay Afloat": clean, but unpolished vocals that are easy to sing along to; guitars, whose edges are rough around the edges to allow for vibrant and bright melodies to drive the songs forward; and of course, rumbling bass lines that play an unequivocally important role in the album's overall instrumental construct.

As a whole, "Stay Afloat" will at first seem chaotic, loose, even unpredictable, because of the way the songs roll forward in a leisurely pace without much added production to iron out the glitches or the ringing sound of the guitars. But just like with other Midwestern punk rock bands, the soundscape is left so on purpose, because it helps create those catchy melodies of the honesty and passion-driven kind. While not all songs are all that great, tracks like "Hindsight is 20/20, Foresight Is $200 An Hour" and "Not The Advice I Was Looking For" are both infectious precisely because of the sloppy and careless way they are played with. For this scribe, the lack of polish means added character, a feat reinforced through enthusiastic and passionate delivery of every song.

"Stay Afloat" might not read among the top releases within this style of punk rock, but it's a decent release nonetheless that hangs out just beneath the elite of the genre. Plenty of catchy songs with solid melodies and sing alongs means this record's worthy of a good rating.

Download: Hindsight Is 20/20, Foresight Is $200 An Hour; Not The Advice I Was Looking For
For the fans of: The Lawrence Arms, Banner Pilot, Dillinger Four, The Holy Mess
Listen: Facebook

Release date 18.06.2013
Dirt Cult Records